In The Shadow Of The Oak
by Royal Ember
Summary: Upon their first rising, all vampire are told of Fated Mates, a marked human destined for their vampire soulmate and whose blood can bring either great power, or the True Death. Orphaned and adopted by a vampire family, Alex meets her mate too young and is forced to forget. For if any discover that Death has a Fated Mate, both their lives will be in grave danger.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who reads and/or reviews. A special thanks goes to Midnat who always patiently listens to me babble about my story ideas, and who is a great sounding board. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own True Blood, otherwise Godric would never have fried. Enjoy the story!**

* * *

**Chapter 1**

He ran.

He was the fastest of all his family, and although he understood the reason for his Maker's choice in commanding him to take his little sister to safety, it rankled that he had had to leave his bloodline to fight without him.

"Josiah, I'm c-cold." she whimpered, and he frowned down at her red cheeks. Even through the spelled sheet that muffled her natural scent, he could barely smell her illness, just as he could somewhat smell the dried blood from the wound on her leg. The scent pulled at him, pulled at his instincts to keep any harm from touching her. Her kind was sacred to vampires, and so very, very rare in the present day.

"I know, sweets. We will be there soon," he said soothingly. Carefully he listened for any pursuers, but only the sounds of nightlife and distant cars reached his ears.

"I want my daddy. And our brothers. Please, Josiah."

He sighed and put on another burst of speed as he saw the lights of the city ahead of him. From one step to the next he shuddered when he walked through an invisible wall of power. It had been several decades since last he had been to Dallas, but he would never forget the cold power of the Ancient vampire Sheriff that blanketed both the city and miles of the surrounding suburbs that clearly outlined his territory. After feeling that power, very few vampires dared to step out of line.

"What…what was that?" his sister asked weakly.

He was confused, perhaps it was a quirk of just what his sister was, but he did not think she would be able to feel vampire auras for several more years. "You could feel that?"

"Mmhm. Warm. Fuzzy." she mumbled as her head lolled on his arm.

Warm? It had to be the fever talking, he decided. In no way was the boy Death's power considered 'warm' or 'fuzzy'. Terrifying, yes. Warm and fuzzy, no. "I will leave you with the Sheriff, sweets, and he will protect you while I go back to help our family."

She shuddered in his arms, and clenched her small hands in his shirt. "Don't leave me."

"I know you're scared," he soothed and quickly skirted through the shadowed suburbs. "It will be okay. We've told you bedtime stories of the Gaul, and his Viking son. Remember?"

At her silence he glanced down and frowned at the deeper hue of her cheeks and the black shadows under her eyes. "If only my blood could heal you," he muttered and continued to speed towards the city.

The last few minutes of the journey were the hardest, as he could feel his little sister's body burn hotter with fever. Her scent slowly started to seep beyond the magicked sheet as the spell began to crack, and he thanked the gods that they were almost to the Sheriff's nest.

He ran so quickly through the city streets that the humans only felt a breeze at his passing. Unfortunately his great speed meant that his sister was shuddering with cold, but he had no other choice. Finally, he stopped before a sedate mansion at the end of a long, private driveway.

"Sweets, we are here." he murmured and barged quickly through the doors. If the precious burden in his arms did not mean so much, he knew that barging into the Sheriff's domain like this, ignoring all protocol of a younger vampire approaching an elder, would have had extremely painful consequences.

For a moment he stood in the doorway to the main gathering room, somewhat shocked that he had made it with his precious sister still alive. He cradled her to his cold chest as she stirred, and his eyes swept the room for any threats. It appeared he had interrupted some sort of party, and his fangs ached at the scent of the glamoured human companions.

"Josiah," she slurred. "I'm so c-cold. Please. A-are we t-there yet?"

He didn't respond as the entire room went silent and fangs dropped. "I need to speak to the Sheriff," he demanded, thankful that he was older than most of the vampires in the room.

"I am here." came the quiet, accented voice. The vampires and glamoured humans parted, and the Sheriff walked forward with his two lieutenants. Although shorter than either of them, it was obvious he was in charge. The female to his left looked Spanish in origin, and the other dressed like a cowboy although both were younger than Josiah by several centuries.

Josiah averted his gaze from the elder and bowed as well as he could. "Sheriff, pardon my entrance but it is an emergency. It has been several decades since we last met. I am Josiah, Child of-."

"I know who you are, youngling." the cool voice interrupted. "I can smell your Sire's blood in you, and the witchcraft around you as well. Why have you entered my territory and disturbed my nest? Who is this child?"

"She is my sister."

The cowboy scoffed but subsided at the Sheriff's glance.

"Yet I can hear her heartbeat, and I know your Maker's stance on sharing our sacred blood…and on Turning children."

Josiah nodded, "She is not, and will not, be my sister by Turning, but will always be my sister by choice."

The watching vampires stirred at actually claiming a willing relation to a human that didn't involve glamour, feeding, and fucking.

The sheet slipped as the girl shifted, and exposed her neck to the room.

Shocked silence filled the air before one young vampire gasped, "A Fated Mate?! I thought they were just stories!"

Godric ignored the vampires in the nest and stared at the small human. It had been many years since he had seen one of her kind, and never one so young. "Follow me into my office. Now."

The Sheriff turned to the watching vampires and calmly commanded, "The nest will be emptied for the evening, and unless it is an emergency all problems will be held until tomorrow night. Go." Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked deeper into the nest.

Josiah followed the three vampires into the center of the building. He was 800 years old, and vastly experienced, yet when they entered the Sheriff's office he had to grit his teeth to stay upright. Here the power of the Sheriff rested heavily on all who entered, and if Josiah's Maker had not been almost as old as the Gaul, he would have been even more uncomfortable in the room. While the Sheriff had been Turned young, barely into manhood, the power originating from his teenage body was formidable. He was Death, feared by all other Supernaturals, and this was why his Maker had commanded him to bring his precious sister and give her into his care.

The sheet slipped from her body and the scent of her blood swept through the room as the muffling spell finally collapsed. It had done it's duty, however, and had helped hide her until Josiah could get her to safety.

The two lieutenants froze as they reflexively took deep breathes, and their eyes fell to the girl's neck. They could see the marks, only visible to vampire eyes on her neck and wrists and knew they would also be at her femoral artery and over her heart. They almost seemed to shimmer in the light, and they warned every vampire exactly what this precious human was. That she was both a blessing to their kind, and the True Death to any who ignored the mark's warning.

"A Fated Mate. It's been so long. I hadn't heard that another had been born. And so very young!" the female vampire said softly.

Josiah and the Sheriff ignored them, their eyes locked. "Her name is Alexandra, but we call her Alex. Our bloodline was attacked by filthy wolves, and she was hurt just before my Maker commanded me to bring her to you." He carefully lowered her to the nearby couch and repositioned the sheet over her fevered body. "My Sire calls in the boon you owe him, and as repayment asks for you to protect her until the current _unpleasantness _has been dealt with, and we discover the reason for the attack. It should not take longer than a fortnight or two."

Godric looked down at the small, and so very precious, human on his couch. For the first time in decades he felt something besides apathy. What was it? Curiosity, perhaps. Definitely protectiveness. The girl's scent called to all vampires to guard her while she was still so vulnerable, although only one would ever have the privilege of her powerful blood once she reached adulthood.

"How did your bloodline find her?" asked the female vampire as she knelt and smoothed the auburn fly-away hair back from Alex's forehead. The child's smelled like rainfall during the coldest days of winter when snow was in the air. Crisp and clean.

Josiah carefully watched the three vampires. Just because his sister's scent encouraged a vampire's protective instinct, it did not mean that the vampire was incapable of hurting her. Just rather disinclined towards such actions. "Her family was killed in a car accident on some backwoods road in Canada. When we found her, she was the only survivor. Both of her parents were only children and had no living kin close enough to look after her, and because of what she is, my Maker decided to raise her until it is time for her to Search. The Council was made aware of her existence, and they commanded we keep silent about having found her until she was older."

Godric nodded. "I will guard her until your bloodline returns. She will be safe within my nest and under my protection," he said calmly before he turned to his lieutenant. "Isabel, call Dr. Ludwig. I charge you to care for the child, and to also find whatever a human girl-child may need. We will glamour the housekeeper to watch over her during the day. Josiah, will you rest here this evening, or head back to your Maker?"

"I must go, Sheriff, but please tell my sister we will return for her." Josiah leaned down and ignored the watching vampires as he laid a soft kiss on her forehead. She had worked her way into his, and his bloodline's hearts, and he would miss her. Humans had such quick childhoods, and he loathed to miss any of it.

He looked up at the watching vampires. "She likes blueberry white chocolate pancakes when she doesn't feel well. Thank you, Sheriff." With a last, lingering look at his sister, he turned and vamp sped from the room. He had a long way to travel before the sun rose, and plots to discover before it was safe to bring his sister home.

* * *

She was lost, and so hot that it felt like her skin was on fire. "Daddy!" she cried out as she ran through a shadowed forest. Thick mist moved around the trees, hiding them from her view, and she sniffled when she stumbled over another upraised root. Wrong, everything was wrong and she was so hot that it was hard to think.

"Josiah? Gabriel? Bennet? Where are you?" she sobbed. All the trees looked dark and twisted, and felt so wrong…but something pulled her towards the center of the forest. Whatever it was made something deep in her chest weakly flutter.

"Daddy!" she cried again. Why wasn't he coming? Her daddy and brothers were super strong and fast, better than even Batman! Why weren't they answering her? Why was she alone?

She cried out and staggered forward, the pull in her chest making it hard to think. A tree, graceful and pretty but still so wrong, seemed to lean towards her and she whimpered and struggled to move away.

A soft voice echoed through the shrouded woods, and her head snapped up in surprise. Maybe she wasn't alone!

"Your touch seems to frighten the child." The words faded into the fog, but she could tell they came from the same direction of whatever was pulling at her. The voice was soft and calm and she didn't want it to leave her alone.

"No! Don't leave me!" she cried, and once again gained her feet, only to almost fall as the world spun around her like a merry-go-round. The voice made her feel safe, and she wanted to hear it again.

"I don't wanna be alone," she sniffled, and whimpered when the branches from the nearby trees scratched at her skin. They were wrong and she didn't want them touching her!

"Shh, child, you are not alone. You are safe."

The voice sounded closer, but still so far away, and with a last gasp she broke through the forest and into a clearing. In the center stood a beautiful tree that soared into the night sky, so tall that it touched the stars, and it's branches were so wide that no other tree dared get near it.

Her lip trembled. It was alone. Just like she was.

Her throat clogged with tears as she looked at it. It was so strong, but…sad. Tired. Hurt.

A tear slipped down her cheek. Lonely. So very, very lonely.

Her heart clenched and she wiped at her nose with her dirty arm. The flutter in her chest gentled as she looked up at the huge tree. It reminded her how she felt before her daddy and brothers saved her. How she sometimes still felt, as if something was missing. She had asked her daddy about it once, the sad feeling she sometimes got, but he had told her to be patient and one day it would be better. She wanted to give the tree a hug, like when her daddy hugged her, and made the sad feeling go away.

She looked down, and saw that her sparkly-purple painted toes were at the very edge of the great shadow it cast across the clearing, but unlike the dark forest, she was not afraid. Instead of a creepy darkness, this one seemed like it would hide her from all the monsters she was sure were following her.

"She seems to respond to you, vampire." she heard a second, grumpy voice echo from behind her and, with a terrified cry, she dashed forward.

As soon as she passed into the great tree's shadow, she immediately calmed. Warmth. Home. _Safety_. Nothing could get her here, nothing could harm her while she was under this tree's shadow. With a sniffle, she stumbled towards it's base and pressed her face against the cool bark. It smelled good, like her favorite candle that her daddy bought her for her room and made everything smell warm and campfire-y. She was so hot, and her head hurt, and she slipped to the ground and huddled against the smooth bark. She sighed and felt soothed and comforted at the cool touch against her face.

Something under her hand caught her attention and she picked it up. "An acorn?" she whispered. Her daddy had showed her one once when they had gone on their walks through the woods around their home.

"She is obviously delirious Dr. Ludwig, she only reacts to the coolness of my hand against her fevered skin." answered the calm voice from before, and she happily smiled as it wrapped around her like her favorite pink fuzzy blanket on her bed at home.

"I'm scared," she whimpered into the tree, and cuddled closer to it. Something had happened to her, something had attacked her family, but her head ached and all she wanted to do was sleep.

"Do not be afraid." came the quiet reply, and she felt her fear slip away.

The ground around her stirred, and she looked down when the roots of the tree rose and shifted to create a hollow space just her size. Gratefully she curled up, and weakly giggled when a thin, green root tentatively wrapped itself around her wrist. She pet it with clumsy fingers, and smiled sleepily as it seemed to protectively curl further around her wrist with gentle strength. The fluttering in her chest eased and she sighed in relief. She looked up, but the tree was so high above her, and she was so very small, that she doubted it even knew she was there. Tears dripped down her cheeks that she couldn't make her tree feel better. It _hurt_ that she couldn't make her tree happy.

"Shh," said the fuzzy-blanket voice. "You are unwell, and need to rest. You are safe, child. Sleep."

She yawned, and her eyes had started to droop shut, when a bright light filled the comforting shadow of her tree. She blinked dazzled eyes and stared at the white-winged figure above her. He was…familiar, somehow, even though the frown on his face made her cower away from him.

"How can you be meant for this one?" he scowled, and stared up at the branches above. "There must be a mistake, how can _this _one be considered worthy of such a gift? And how in the Gods' name did you find your way to this place now?!" he said, and reached down to pick her up.

"No!" she whined, and clung to the thin root around her wrist. "I don't wanna go! My tree needs me! Can't you see it's sad?"

The winged man stopped and stared up at the monstrously huge oak. 'Sad' would not be a word he would use to describe what he felt while standing under the shadow of it's power. He was lucky to have remained here unseen for as long as he had. He shuddered, and gripped the girl tighter.

"You are ill, and easily confused. This one cannot be meant for you. Listen, when you are older…." he paused, stared at his stubborn charge, and shook his head in exasperation. "Why am I even arguing with a toddler?" he grumbled to himself, and with quick movements unwrapped the root and hoisted her into his arms.

"No no no! It's _mine_! Give it back!" she sobbed as the fluttering in her chest grew painful. She weakly flailed in his arms, and reached down towards the root that stretched to meet her fingertips.

He watched in shock as the two met, and the slender root gently twined around the girl's small fingers. He could see their auras shifting towards each other. Shit. His job had just grown much, much more difficult. None of the others had been this much trouble, and the girl was still barely more than a toddler!

The branches above them began to stir, and he quickly passed his hands over her eyes and sighed when his troublesome charge went limp. "Sleep, and when you awake this will be just a fever dream, and as easily forgotten. No one can know who your mate will be. You _must _forget."

The winged man shifted the girl in his arms as he prepared to move her soul back to it's rightful place, and never noticed the small acorn the child clutched in her other hand.

* * *

Sleepy, brown eyes opened and stared into the grey ones of the vampire next to her.

"Where's Josiah?" she asked, scared. She was hot, in a strange place, and she wanted her brother. Where was she?

"Your brother left you in my care, and you have my word that none shall harm you here. I am Godric, Sheriff of Area 9 in Texas."

"Sheriff," a grumpy voice said. "The girl will sleep for the next few days, but should heal quickly. I've bandaged her leg but it looked worse than it really was. Since she cannot drink vampire blood, it must heal naturally."

Alex struggled to focus as everything seemed to float around her, but at the word 'blood' she panicked. Her family told her to never drink a vampire's blood!

"No blood!" she said, and began to struggle with the heavy blanket. She looked up at the Sheriff and struggled to find the words. Her daddy told her she always had to be polite, but her head hurt and she was scared. "Please Mr. Sheriff Sir, no blood!" She had promised her daddy to never drink any vampire's blood, and he would be angry if she disobeyed him!

A prick in her arm made her jerk and look at the short, odd woman next to her.

"This will help you sleep little girl, no one will give you blood here." said the grumpy sounding lady. She turned away and snickered as she muttered, "Mr. Sheriff Sir!"

The world began to swim, and with a huge effort she turned her face towards the other vampire. "Mr. Sheriff Sir?"

Calm grey eyes stared down into her own, and her chest fluttered softly. "Sleep, you are safe here." he quietly said and some of her fear went away as the world turned soft and dark around her.

* * *

**_Several days later_**

Godric looked up from his desk at the sound of small feet limping down the hall and pausing outside his door. Several days had passed and the girl, Alex, had bounced back from her injuries with the ease of youth. Isabel had taken over her care and he had yet to actually talk to the child. He could hear her heartbeat quicken, and heard her giggles as she struggled to move the heavy door.

"Hi, Mr. Sheriff Sir!" she chirped when she finally huffed and puffed the door open. She stared up at the quiet vampire behind the huge desk, and brought her thumb up to her mouth. Her daddy said she was too old to suck her thumb, but it made her feel better. She nervously clutched her new teddy bear to her chest and rubbed her nose in his soft fur. She liked this vampire, liked his quietness and soft voice, although she didn't think he liked her. Tears filled her eyes at the thought, but she clutched her new bear to her and felt better. She missed her daddy and her brothers, but somehow Mr. Sheriff Sir made her feel better. Less alone.

Earlier in the evening he had introduced her to his nest. She wasn't used to so many people staring at her, and she had shyly hid behind his legs. He hadn't made fun of her, or moved from his spot in front of her, until Ms. Isabel had managed to coax her with a surprise gift. When she had turned to show him what it was, he was gone. When she finally managed to escape, she somehow found the way back to the room Ms. Isabel had said was his office and was 'not for children'. She didn't want to get in trouble by going into the room, but some of the vampires in the nest were scary and she really wanted to hide behind him again. When she was around him, it was like she was wrapped in a warm blanket, and nothing could hurt her.

"Good evening, child. I believe you were told this room was not for you," he said, even as he turned his attention back to the important documents in front of him. With words to soft for her mortal ears, he called for Isabel to come retrieve her from his office.

"If you wait quietly, Isabel will-," He stopped and blinked when an object with brown fur was shoved into his face.

"Look, Mr. Sheriff Sir! Look at what Ms. Isabel got me! She said you told her to get me a toy and _look_!" she squealed. "It's a bear, and he has a cowboy hat and a sheriff's badge! I named him Mr. Sheriff Sir, just like you! Do you have a badge too? Can I see it?"

Godric's lips twitched when he glanced down and saw that someone, he suspected Stan, had sewn small vampire fangs into the toy's mouth. "Ah, yes. I am glad that you are satisfied with the toy," he said quietly. "And no, I do not have a badge."

She scrunched up her nose in confusion. "What's sa-tis-feed mean?"

Godric sighed and looked at his desk. He had much work to do before the night was over, but he could not bring himself to hurt her feelings. He could hear Isabel approaching, and knew that he would only have to entertain the child for a few more minutes.

"The word is 'satisfied' and it means to be happy with how something turned out."

"Oh." she said and looked up at him with big brown eyes. "Then I am sa-tis-feed with Mr. Sheriff Sir. He's so soft! Thank you!" Quickly, she stretched up towards the vampire, and gave him a big hug.

Godric stiffened in shock. How many decades had it been since someone had touched him? Since a human had dared to do so?

Even after Isabel had gently chastised the child and taken her away, and long after he had returned to his work, part of him worried that she would be tainted by him. That somehow his generations of bloody genocide would mar her innocence. She was sacred to his kind, a Fated Mate, and he refused to be the reason she was so damaged. She had his protection while she was in his Area, but, he decided, he would leave all of her management to Isabel and the glamoured housekeeper. She was only one small child, no matter her special destiny. Surely she would be little trouble. In fact, he doubted he would even have much cause to see her before her father and brothers returned for her.

With that thought he turned back to his never ending pile of work, and staunchly ignored the twinge of sadness at his choice.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you to all my readers and/or reviewers! As always, the disclaimer that I only own what was created in my own head.**

* * *

**Chapter 2**

She curled up in a ball in the large bed and stared at the shadowy, dark closet. She knew the monsters were there, she could practically hear them hissing and snarling about how they wanted to eat her. Not even her Super Girl pajamas gave her enough courage to call out for help. What if the monsters knew she was awake and tried to get to her? Or tried to hurt whoever came to help her? Her heart thudded faster and faster and she grabbed her new bear.

"I-It's okay, Mr. Sheriff Sir," she said and hugged her teddy bear to her chest. Her eyes never left the partially opened closet. "I-I wont let them g-get you. Mr. Sheriff Sir said we were safe here, he wont let the monsters hurt you. He _promised_!" She hid her face in his soft fur and whimpered. She had to be brave for her teddy bear so he wouldn't be scared and start crying. She wanted to turn the light on, but was afraid to leave the bed in case the monster hiding under it got her. She wanted her daddy! She wanted her brothers! She wanted…she wanted….

She whimpered when the door opened and let in a wedge of light into the pitch black room.

"Are you okay, Alex?" came the soft voice of Ms. Isabel.

She popped her head up from under the covers and nervously watched the closet. "Ms. Isabel! I want Mr. Sheriff Sir! Please!"

Isabel stared, confused at the clearly terrified child. She glanced around, but there was nothing in the room that should frighten her. Yet she could smell her fear, and her tears. The fear increased the scent of her blood, and Isabel's fangs snicked down as her instincts rose to protect her. "Alex, your teddy bear is right next to you.'

"No, not Mr. Sheriff Sir. We want Mr. _Sheriff _Sir! My teddy is really scared! My teddy wants Mr. Sheriff Sir now!" she wailed, and clutched her bear closer to her as she rocked back and forth.

Isabel's lips twitched, even as she kept her amusement out of her voice. Although Godric had barely been around the child, it was obvious that he had made an impression on her. Frankly she thought the distraction from his work would be good for him. Lately he had seemed…odd. Disconnected. Listless. She was worried about him, but he had made it clear he wished to be left alone.

"The Sheriff is busy, little one. Can I help you?"

"No! My teddy wants Mr. Sheriff Sir!"

Isabel opened her mouth to soothe the girl. The Sheriff was on the phone with the King, and could not be interrupted for whatever childish fear she may have.

One moment she was alone, and in the next Godric stood next to her. "Isabel, what seems to be the problem? The King could hear her sobbing over the phone."

"Sheriff, Alex is upset and wants to see you. Apparently only you can help her." She smiled at the brief, uncomfortable look her Sheriff sported before he nodded, and walked into the room. Isabel knew she should leave, that she had duties to attend to, but she was interested to see what Alex wanted.

Alex buried her face further into her bear's stomach and sniffled. Teddy was very scared, and wanted to know where Mr. Sheriff Sir was.

"Don't be scared, he wont let them get us." she whispered into his fur. Nervously, she sucked on her thumb and tried to keep the tears from falling. She was brave and a big girl! Her teddy was scared, but she wasn't! A small sound made her clench her eyes tighter, and she hid under one of the large pillows on the bed.

Suddenly, she felt like a warm blanket was wrapped around her, and her chest weakly fluttered. She uncurled and nuzzled her bear. Mr. Sheriff Sir was here! She was safe!

"Child," came the soft, soothing voice from next to the bed. "I can smell your fear. What ails you?"

Her head popped up and she stared teary-eyed at him. "Mr. Sheriff Sir! You came!" she cried, and flung herself and her teddy from the bed into his arms. She clung to him, her teddy protectively smushed between them, and buried her face in his neck. The warm blanket feeling wrapped tighter around her, and she burrowed deeper into his neck.

She sniffled and wrapped herself further around him when his arms stiffly came up to support her weight. He smelled oddly familiar, and slowly she began to calm before her head shot up so fast she almost hit him in the chin.

"Mr. Sheriff Sir!" she cried out and tried to tug him forward. "You have to get off the floor! Jump onto the bed before they get you!"

Godric blinked and stared down at the clearly terrified child. Her heart beat so fast he was surprised she hadn't hyperventilated, and her scent was heavy with fear. Her red hair was mostly out of it's thick braid, and her face was flushed and tear stained. He had been shocked when she had jumped into his arms, and he ignored Isabel's amusement.

"Child, who are 'they'?" Carefully, he placed the small girl back on the rumpled bed.

Alex glanced nervously at the closet and bed before she leaned closer and whispered, "The tentacle monsters that live in the closet and under the bed."

Godric blinked, and his eyes cut to the dark closet, but he could hear no other heartbeat besides hers in the room. There were no other unusual smells besides that of her fear. A cursory index of all the different species of Supernaturals he had met in his long life made him realize that she was mistaken . "Calm yourself. There are no such thing as tentacle monsters that live in closets or under beds. You are safe, go back to your slumber." If the child knew that he was worse than any imaginary monster, she would not look to him for protection. He turned to leave, convinced that she would now easily return to her rest.

"There are!" she denied, and raised up her bedraggled teddy bear. "Mr. Sheriff Sir heard them, and was scared. I told him that you had promised that you would protect us, and wouldn't let the bad monsters hurt him! He wants you to make the monsters go away!" she said, and looked up at him with pleading, trusting eyes.

Godric internally sighed, but something in him couldn't resist the need to comfort the girl. It had to be her scent that affected him, he rationalized to himself. The king was expecting him to return his call, so the faster he soothed her the quicker he could get back to his responsibilities and away from her before he contaminated her.

"Alright child." he said, and ignored Isabel's muffled giggles.

When he moved towards the closet he halted when a small, warm hand wrapped around his. Shocked, he looked down into worried eyes.

Alex hesitated, and with a trembling hand held out her teddy bear. "D-Do you want to take my teddy to help keep you safe?" she asked.

His eyes trailed down to the offered toy, and then back up to the worried girl. His voice was very gentle when he answered. "No, little one, keep your bear. I will be fine."

He moved towards the closet, opened the door, and flipped on the light. "See, there is nothing here."

"It's because you turned on the light," she said stubbornly and clutched at her bear. Her teddy wanted Mr. Sheriff Sir to pick them up again. No way was any tentacle monster going to get them then! "They hide when the light is turned on. You need to put your teeth down to scare them. And growl. That's what my brothers always do when I get scared. They said that _everyone _knows that tentacle monsters are scared of vampires!"

Godric ignored Isabel's shaking form, and with a snick lowered his teeth. As he turned back to the closet, he really, really hoped that his son would never hear about this. Quickly he turned off the light, and half-heartedly snarled into the dark room. With fast footsteps he moved towards the bed, lifted the bed skirt and snarled again.

He rose from his crouch and nodded at the girl. "No tentacle monsters reside either in your closet, nor under your bed. Now, will you return to your rest?"

Her eyes were wide as they stared up at him and Godric realized that his teeth were still down. With a snick he retracted them, uncertain of her reaction, but her gaze looked at him as if he had fought a dragon for her.

"Wow!" she said. "Thank you, Mr. Sheriff Sir! You scared them all away really fast! It always takes my brothers a lot more time to do it, and they even have to go _inside _my closet and fight them! The tentacle monsters are really strong, and one time they even threw Bennett through the door! Are you older than my brothers?"

Isabel's choked laughter was still too soft for the girl to hear, and Godric briefly glared at her. "Yes, I am."

She gasped. "Older than my _daddy_?!"

He sighed, certain that her reaction would be the same fearful one as others who learned of his great age. "Yes, I am. Your family brought you to me because I am the second oldest vampire in this country, and thus able to protect you."

She stared at him, her eyes wide and her mouth open in shock.

The two vampires watched, unsure of her reaction, and Isabel felt a pang of disappointment. She almost jumped when her musings were interrupted by an excited squeal, and a jumble of words.

"Did you ever ride a dinosaur? Was it fun? What was it's name? Was it Ralph? Why does the mean one that eats other dinosaurs have really short arms? It makes it look silly, and if I was a dinosaur I would laugh at it, even though daddy says that that's not nice."

To Isabel's shock her always calm, always blank faced Sheriff slightly smiled!

"No," he said. "I am afraid I have never met a dinosaur. I am not _that _old, nor do I know why the Tyrannosaurus Rex had such short arms. Now, do you feel like you will be able to sleep?"

"Mmhmm," she hummed, and cuddled down into her pillows, her eyes already heavy. "Thank you for saving us. I am sa-tis-feed."

His lips twitched. "Little one, I promised you that you would be safe in my nest." He turned abruptly to his amused underling. "Isabel, when you are finished come to my office." With a blink, he was gone.

Isabel came over and tucked Alex and her teddy in snugly. "Do you feel better now?"

"Yes, Mr. Sheriff Sir made all the monsters go away, and my teddy isn't scared anymore." she mumbled.

Isabel smothered a laugh, and looked fondly at the little girl she suspected was going to make the next few weeks rather interesting.

"Ms. Isabel?"

"Yes?"

"Is Mr. Sheriff Sir married?"

The vampire blinked, and a highly amused smile spread across her face. "No, he is not. Why do you ask?"

"Me and teddy are going to marry him one day," was the sleepy response. "He's nice, and he smells good. My teddy bear thinks he's sad and needs us. I don't want him to be sad." She curled up into a small ball under the covers. "Do you think he likes me?"

Isabel's gaze sharpened. Perhaps…? It was much too early to tell, as this could be nothing, but if anyone deserved such a gift, it would be her Sheriff.

"The Sheriff is very, very old, Alex. I do not believe he dislikes you, but it has been a long times since he, himself, was a child. I daresay you confuse him."

Alex snuggled down further into her blankets and yawned. "Ms. Isabel, if I ask, do you think he would wait for me to grow up?"

Before Isabel could answer, the little girl's eyes slipped closed and she fell deeply into the land of dreams.

* * *

Godric sat out in the garden and stared up at the night sky. Everyone knew that when the Sheriff sat by the pond, that he was not to be disturbed. Much was on his mind, and his 'do not disturb upon pain of evisceration' aura was enough to make even Stan decide to go elsewhere for the remainder of the evening. Even Isabel had made herself scarce after she had finished tending to Alex. It would be dawn soon, but for once he was not interested in the large pile of work currently breeding on his desk.

He sighed, even with his eyes it was difficult to see the stars through the light pollution, and he missed their brightness. He longed for the days when he could travel for miles without seeing another being, when the air was clean and the wilderness spanned forever. Unfortunately those memories were also tied with the atrocities he had committed that now weighed so heavily on his soul. He had been the ruin of so many, had destroyed and ripped apart families and entire countries with only a chilling smile and a careless hand. He saw that same viciousness in the younger generation of vampires, and despaired that his race could ever evolve. The birth of a Fated Mate after so many years, the fact that the gods had decided that at least one vampire deserved such a treasure, gave him hope that perhaps not all was lost, even though he had no hope for his own redemption.

The sky slowly brightened, and he sighed when he realized that it was time to die for the day. Within seconds he was secure from the sun's harmful rays, and gratefully allowed his day sleep to pull him from his troublesome worries.

Just before he died, he had a random, odd thought; just why _did_ the Tyrannosaurus Rex have such short arms? For the fist time in decades, he went to his day rest with a small smile on his pale lips.

* * *

The faint pull reached her even in her deep sleep, and Alex whimpered as she tossed and turned. Something was wrong….something _hurt_…the feeling slipped away and she rolled back over and curled around Mr. Sheriff Sir. The bear's soft fur against her cheek soothed her as she once again slipped into dreams of chasing butterflies through moonlit meadows with her daddy, brothers, and a laughing vampire Sheriff.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: As always, thank you to everyone who reads/reviews my story! Only a few more chapters of child Alex to go before we start time jumping! Midnat, as always, you rock.**

**The usual disclaimer goes here, and now...enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 3**

Godric stared impassively at the two werewolves who stood before his desk. They had already been there for an hour, but refused to listen to reason. He sometimes missed the past when he could have bombarded them with his power without regard to the fallout. Or just ripped out their hearts. The last thing Dallas needed was for a war to break out between vampires and werewolves. The loss of life, including those of humans, would be catastrophic and difficult to hide in the current technological age.

The Packmaster snarled and brought his fist down on the desk. "Look, vampire, one of your underlings beat a member of my pack so badly that they are in the hospital. They fang-raped his sister as well, and we want justice!"

Godric nodded, but replied calmly, "I agree, but only after I have spoken to the two victims to determine the veracity of their story. Vampires are not known for their love of werewolf blood."

Stan snorted and rolled his eyes. "It tastes like complete dog shit."

Godric sighed, "Stan."

The second were's eyes went yellow. "Those are my children you are talking about, leach! If I have to I will start killing every one of you fangers and-"

"Mr. Sheriff Sir! Mr. Sheriff Sir!" The sound of a small body throwing itself against the heavy door made Isabel shake her head, and the two weres looked on in disbelief.

"I left her with one of the glamoured companions, and told her we were not to be disturbed. My apologies, Sheriff," Isabel bowed, and quickly moved to open the door.

"Alexandra!" she reprimanded, but the girl ignored her. Somehow, and she wasn't sure how, she seemed to gain more arms than an octopus and became as slippery as an eel as she squirmed free of her grip.

"Mr. Sheriff Sir! You'll never guess what happened today! Did you know you have ducks in your pond? Teddy and I tried to pet them but we fell in and got all wet!" she giggled. "Teddy had to go into the dryer, and he got all dizzy from spinning around and around! We took a nap, and then Mrs. Rosie made us cookies for a snack. Peanut butter chocolate chip cookies and I got to lick the spoon! Then we got to draw and look what we made for you!" she shouted and waived a piece of paper in the air, scattering pink glitter across the pristine carpet.

"Alex!" Isabel snapped, and the girl froze and looked over her shoulder. Unfortunately, she stopped right next to the weres and they leaned down to sniff her.

"You smell…weird," the Packmaster said, and took another deep sniff.

Her jaw dropped and she pouted. "I don't smell weird, I took a bath earlier! Teddy did too!" She looked up at Stan. "Do I smell weird?" she whispered loudly to the vampire that gave her chocolates and let her wear his hat when no one else was around.

"No, darlin', these mangy mutts are just used to sniffing their own rear ends and aren't used to smelling something as good as you." Stan replied, but winced at his Sheriff's glare.

The Packmaster growled but his attention was caught by the bear the girl clutched in her arms. Someone had sewn small vampire fangs into its mouth. The realization that there was a child in a nest of bloodsucking fiends suddenly hit him, and his growled.

"Wait a second. You have a child?! Here? I heard that you were different from other vampires, Godric, but apparently you are like every other leech! Do you glamour the poor thing to not be afraid of you? Pass her around to the other vampires? Do _other _things to her?"

He looked down at a sudden, dull pain in his leg and saw that the girl had kicked him with her bare foot. He scowled and reached for her to take her over his knee and give her a good spanking, but the growls and fangs of the watching vampires in the room made him pause. Well, that and the sudden presence of extremely pissed off vampire in front of him. This close those fangs looked rather…lethal. The quiet, calm Sheriff was gone and he shuddered at the power the smaller boy-man gave off.

Godric glared coldly at the Packmaster, and his rage only increased when a small arm wrapped around his knee and a trembling body pressed against the back of his leg. His instincts rose, and he increased the level of his power that currently flooded the room, and watched in satisfaction as the two mortals edged away. Only then did he realize, to his shock, that the low, vicious growl belonged to him. When was the last time he had lost control? He opened his mouth to dismiss the two werewolves when he was interrupted by a loud, trembling voice.

"D-Don't you say that about Mr. Sheriff Sir! He would never hurt me! H-He made the bad tentacle monsters in the closet go away last night! He gave me my bear, and he keeps us safe! He promised!" She glared and stomped her foot. "Don't you say naughty things about him, you…you…big meanie!"

The second werewolf rolled his eyes and ignored the warning glare of his Packmaster. "Look cupcake, they've probably been feeding off of you and you just don't know it. If he isn't, then I'm sure the cowboy or Spanish Barbie have been. Or any of the other corpses in the nest. They are disgusting beasts."

Her eyes widened at the look on the men's faces, and she clutched at Mr. Sheriff Sir's knee. "Ms. Isabel takes care of me! Mr. Stan plays horsie with me and gives me rides in the hallway when nobody is around! Mr. Sheriff Sir wouldn't let anyone hurt me and if they _tried_, teddy and I would tell on them, and Mr. Sheriff Sir would make them go to bed without dinner! Or make them go into Time Out! Or…or be so mean to them that they would cry!" She clutched at Mr. Sheriff Sir's leg, but stood her ground. The warm blanket feeling was wrapped tightly around her and she felt super brave. Teddy agreed, and said that nobody could talk about their Mr. Sheriff Sir like that!

"Alex." The voice was soft, soothing, and so very gentle that every muscle in her body relaxed.

She stilled and looked up at Mr. Sheriff Sir. For once the grey eyes that looked down at her didn't look remote and far away. Instead they were a warm grey, and it was the first time he had ever said her name. "They shouldn't say things like that about you Mr. Sheriff Sir." Her chin jutted out. "Teddy and I wont let them hurt your feelings like that!"

"Alexandra, that is enough!" Isabel commanded. "You will go out into the hallway and stay there until I come for you."

"Now Isabel," Stan said. "She was defending our Sheriff. Would you really punish her for that?"

"Stan, this is why Godric appointed myself, and not you, as her guardian for while she is here." She turned to look down at Alex who cringed further behind the Sheriff's legs, and was now sucking her thumb with wide eyes. Her voice softened. "Now, Alex."

Alex wrapped her arm tighter around Mr. Sheriff's Sirs leg before she sighed and skirted around the two mean men.

Isabel held the door open, and when she walked into the hallway warned, "Sit down and don't move."

The door shut with a thud and she sat down and pulled Mr. Sheriff Sir into her lap. "Teddy, I think we're in big trouble."

* * *

Alex had sprawled out in the hallway, and was using her teddy's belly for a pillow, when the door opened, and the two mean men came out. She scrambled out of their way as they stomped by with a glare in her direction.

Her teddy hoped that maybe Ms. Isabel had forgotten about them, but when she appeared in the door the look on her face made her gulp.

"Inside, Alexandra."

Mr. Stan walked by and looked sympathetically down at the girl. "Good luck, kid."

She nervously walked into the room, and stared at Mr. Sheriff Sir who had his back to her as he stood looking out into the garden. He looked…remote. Like nobody could touch him.

Alone.

The pull in her chest felt funny, and she really wanted a hug. "M-Mr. Sheriff Sir?" she whispered, but he did not look at her.

"Alexandra!" Isabel said sternly.

"Yes, Ms. Isabel?" She was nervous. Her teddy had told her that she shouldn't go into the office, but she had really wanted to give Mr. Sheriff Sir his picture…she looked around for it and sniffled when she saw it on the desk. She had wanted to show it to him herself, and now he had seen it and it wasn't a surprise anymore!

"You saw it?" she asked, heartbroken. "Teddy and I wanted to show it to you, Mr. Sheriff Sir. We worked super hard on it!"

Isabel rubbed her forehead and sighed. Could a vampire get a headache? "Alexandra, the picture isn't important right now." She winced at her words and the hurt look they put on the child's face.

"Yes it is! Teddy and I worked really hard on it, and it was a present and now it's _ruined_. Teddy wanted us to give it to him!" She scrubbed at her eyes and cuddled her bear to her chest. "It was important," she whispered. She looked up and saw that Mr. Sheriff Sir had turned around and was watching her. He looked…confused. Like she felt when adults used big words, and she didn't understand them. The pull increased, and she took a half step towards him.

"Alexandra, I need you to focus." Isabel said, and she reluctantly dragged her eyes back to her and squeezed her bear harder. Ms. Isabel looked so angry. She peeked at Mr. Sheriff Sir again but he didn't look angry or happy, but something told her that he was really upset. Her shoulders slumped. Probably with her because she had been naughty.

Nervously, she shifted and pulled her teddy closer as her thumb slipped into her mouth.

"Alexandra, what did I tell you when I left you in the den?"

Alex looked down and shuffled her feet. Maybe if she was really quiet they would forget she was there? She raised one foot and scratched it down the back of her other leg.

"Alexandra! Look at me when I am talking to you. Take your thumb out of your mouth." Isabel demanded. "What did I tell you?"

Shoulders hunched, Alex whispered. "To not go into Mr. Sheriff Sir's office. That you were having an important meeting."

"And, young lady, where are you standing?"

She sniffled and looked down at her bare toes, and wiggled them in the soft grey rug next to the desk. She smiled at the pink glitter that covered both it and her bare feet.

Isabel's voice was a warning. "Alexandra."

"I-In the office." she glanced up and her heart hurt when she saw Mr. Sheriff Sir had left the room. "T-Teddy told me that I shouldn't, but I was just so excited about showing Mr. Sheriff Sir the picture we drew for him." she whispered. Tears filled her eyes. "And now Mr. Sheriff Sir is-"

"Alexandra." Isabel interrupted. "You were very naughty, and you must be punished."

"B-But …" she stammered.

Isabel softened at her fear. "I think a Time Out would work wonders for teaching you to follow directions. You cannot do what you want, whenever you want. Sometimes you must do as your told so that you are safe. Do you understand?"

Alex nodded her head yes, and then shook it no.

Isabel sighed. "We will talk about this more. For now you will go into the den and stand with your nose in the corner."

"For how long?" she whimpered. The vampires in the den made her nervous. They always stared at her, and she didn't think that Mr. Sheriff Sir would let her hide behind his legs during Time Out.

"Ten minutes," Isabel replied. "You will speak to no one, and you will stand there. Then we will talk."

"Ten minutes is _forever!_" Alex whined. She would die of boredom! Well, at least she would have her teddy with her…

"Watch your tone, miss. Now, for the second part of your punishment, you have to leave your teddy here."

Alex's jaw dropped, and she put her bear behind her back. "He didn't do anything! He tried to tell me to not come in the room! He will get lonely and scared without me! It's not _fair._"

Isabel felt her lips twitch, but forced them into a stern expression. "Then next time you will listen to him. He will be fine here, and you can have him back when you are done. Now, march!"

Completely miserable, she asked, "Does he have to sit in Time Out too? Mr. Sheriff Sir isn't here…who will keep him safe without me?"

Isabel struggled to keep from smiling. "Yes, teddy needs to be in Time Out too. Both of you can think about what you did wrong. Nobody is allowed in the office when the Sheriff is not here, so your teddy will be fine."

Alex looked down at her bear and gave him a big hug and ruffled his fur.

Ms. Isabel's voice was firm. "Alex."

Her shoulders slumped, and she turned away and walked to a corner of the room and sat her bear down on the floor facing it. "I'm sorry, teddy. I didn't mean to get you in trouble. I guess I was really bad." She kissed his head and dragged her feet over to Ms. Isabel and took her hand. With heavy steps she followed Ms. Isabel to the den. She blushed when Ms. Isabel told everyone in the room that no one was to talk to her during her punishment as she was made to face the corner.

"Now, Alexandra. Stay here until I tell you that the punishment is over. Think about what you did wrong. Do. Not. Move. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Ms. Isabel."

"I will be here with you, and when you're done we will go get your teddy. Okay?"

Alex listlessly nodded and leaned her forehead against the wall. She raised her hand and rubbed at her chest. She didn't understand why her heart felt heavy and cold, but it did. She didn't like it. It felt like something was wrong.

She shifted, and her mind wandered. It had to have been ten minutes, right? It felt like she had been there forever! Was Ms. Isabel still here? She shifted and started to turn her head to check.

"It's only been one minute, Alex. You have nine more to go. Stand still."

Alex groaned and stilled her feet. She was going to be here forever and ever and _ever_. Her poor teddy would be left alone. Would Mr. Sheriff Sir look after him? Hug him when teddy got lonely and missed his family? She pouted and frowned at the wall. Why did teddy get to stay in the office and she had to leave? Did Mr. Sheriff Sir like him more than her now? He had left before she could ask for a hug. Or tell him about the picture she drew him. Was he mad at her too? Did he not like her anymore? She winced and rubbed her chest where it fluttered and ached.

She missed her teddy. And her brothers and her daddy. She wondered if they were okay and if they missed her as much as she missed them. She wiped at her eyes. She was a big girl, and when she got teddy back she would tell him that she hadn't cried, that she had taken her punishment 'like a man'. She had heard her daddy tell one of her brothers that before. She didn't know exactly what it meant, she thought that her brothers and daddy were boys already, but it seemed to be important. So she wasn't going to cry. Not at all!

A single tear slipped down her cheek. Okay, well, maybe she cried just a little bit, but teddy didn't have to know about it. She bet he was sobbing really hard all alone in the office. She felt bad for thinking mean thoughts earlier, and decided to give him an extra hug when she got him back.

She froze when she heard Mr. Stan told Ms. Isabel that he and the Sheriff were leaving the nest for awhile.

"Alex, stand there, I will be right back."

Terror filled her. She didn't like many of the other vampires in the nest. Something about them felt wrong, even when they smiled at her and wanted to talk to her. Tried to pet her hair. She didn't like it when strange vampires touched her. Ms. Isabel and Mr. Stan were kind of okay, but she only felt totally safe with Mr. Sheriff Sir and he was leaving her here alone. What if the tentacle monsters came back and he wasn't here? What if the bad people who hurt her family came for her?

She was supposed to stay in Time Out but she needed to find Mr. Sheriff Sir. Now!

* * *

"Isabel, while I am gone you are in charge." Godric said calmly. "Stan, Kathryn, Jacob, you will come with me to the hospital. Hopefully we will find that the two youths were mistaken in who they blame for their current predicament."

They turned when a small body hurled itself out of the hallway and slipped on the marble floor. Godric vamp sped, and before the girl could crash into the hard ground he had her safe in his arms. He sighed and carefully set her on her feet. "Little one, how many times have you been told to not run in the halls? Especially in your bare feet?"

"Alexandra! You were not told that your punishment was over. What are you doing here?" Isabel asked.

Alex ignored them and looked up, terrified, into Mr. Sheriff Sir's face. "You can't go!" she panted from her dash down the hallway.

He raised a single brow. "Excuse me?"

"Mr. Stan told Ms. Isabel that you were leaving the nest! If you leave, who will protect me and teddy?" She looked around at the other vampires and leaned in to tearfully whisper, "What if the tentacle monsters come back? Please don't go!" She threw her arms around the startled vampire and clung. "You're mad at me and now you're going to go away and teddy will blame me for you leaving us!" she wailed and burst into loud sobs.

"Child." he said without any response.

"Little one?" Still no answer, except for the warm tears that bathed his neck.

He sighed. "Alex," The soft, soothing, and very gentle tone was the same as before in the office.

"Yes?" she whispered, and leaned back to look into his eyes.

"I am not mad at you, and I will come back. I promise you, just as I promised that you and your bear would be safe in this nest," he soothed and carefully wiped her tears away. The fear and anxiety in her scent began to dissipate as she stared at him.

The other vampires relaxed as the pull to protect her eased, and watched with amusement as the little girl raised her pinkie to the second oldest vampire in the country.

"Pinkie promise?" she demanded.

He looked down at the tiny finger and then raised both eyebrows at the little girl.

"If you pinkie promise you have to come back. It's an extra special promise!"

With a grave expression he nodded and wrapped his pinkie around hers. "Yes, little one, I pinkie promise that I will return. Now, go off with Isabel and complete your punishment like a good girl."

She nodded and with a nervous look at Isabel, turned to run back to the den.

"Walk, don't run!" Isabel demanded.

All smiles were wiped from the vampire's faces as they prepared to leave. Godric was the last one out and he turned to look at Isabel. "Feed her more of those cookies she liked so much after her punishment, and do try and keep the nest, and Alex, in one piece for my return."

Isabel watched as the Sheriff vamp sped away, and smiled.

* * *

Alex stood on her tip toes and looked out the kitchen window into the garden. She squinted and held teddy up to look too, but they could barely see Mr. Sheriff Sir sitting by himself next to the pond.

Isabel sighed. "Alex, come away from the window."

"Mr. Sheriff Sir thinks Mr. Sheriff Sir is sad." she said softly, and cuddled her teddy closer to her. With a trembling finger, she traced the ear that poked up through the cowboy hat.

Isabel shook her head. "Alex, the Sheriff had a difficult night, and asked not to be disturbed. You should respect his wish."

Alex looked down into the black button eyes of her bear and frowned. No, Ms. Isabel wasn't right. She was needed, she _felt _it. "My teddy sometimes gets sad." She looked up with wide eyes into Ms. Isabel's. "Sometimes he gets lonely too. Mr. Sheriff Sir gave him to me so that he wouldn't feel sad and lonely anymore. He…he doesn't want Mr. Sheriff Sir to be sad either." She looked up at Isabel. "Teddy thinks that maybe Mr. Sheriff Sir needs a hug to feel better."

Isabel stared, before she smiled mischievously. "Perhaps, little one, it is time to give the Sheriff your picture?"

* * *

Godric sat by the pond for the second night in a row, and thought about the travesty he had seen this evening. The two weres had not been attacked by vampires, of that he was certain, but something untoward was going on. If he was not careful, fights would break out between vampires and the wolf pack.

Stumbling footsteps and a racing heart made him internally sigh. "Little one," he murmured when she was close enough to hear his words. "I asked for privacy for the evening. Why are you not in the nest? Is it not past time for you to sleep?"

Her eyes went wide with outrage. "I'm not a baby! I'm _five_! Only babies go to bed so early."

He slightly smiled. "Yes, I can see how being five would change things."

She crawled up on the bench, and put teddy down between them before she held out a piece of paper that shed glitter everywhere. "Teddy and I brought you your picture. You saw it earlier, but Ms. Isabel said you would enjoy it if we gave it to you ourselves."

He reached down and stared at the glittery and rather…colorful piece of paper. He frowned and turned his head slightly. Was that an…icecream cone in the upper left corner? For the unlife of him he had no clue what the picture was, and he had studied the great master artists of the Abstract Expressionistic movement. "Ah, yes. Very interesting. Nice use of color and-" he glanced down at his sparkle covered hands, "…glitter."

She blushed, and buried her face in her bear for a moment. She shyly peeked up at him. "Do you like it?"

The thought, if not the actual drawing. "Yes, very much."

She bounced in her seat and wrapped her arms around his elbow. "Can you see what it is?"

Her heat was like a furnace against his side. He paused for a moment, and looked down at the green squiggles and black stick figures. "I would prefer you to tell me about it, little one. What made you choose this shade of green?"

She stared at him as if he had grown another eyeball. "Tentacle monsters are slime green. _Everyone _knows that!"

Finally, something he could work with. "So, then this stick figure with the brown one is you and your-," he winced slightly, "-Mr. Sheriff Sir?"

"Mmhmm!" she hummed happily. "And this one-" she pointed to a gigantic stick figure holding something in his hand, "-is you and your sword!"

His lips twitched, and he felt some of the depression from seeing what was done to the two young weres dissipate. "So there was a sword last night?"

"Of course, you stabbed the tentacle monsters when you growled at them! Teddy and I thought you were very brave." She smiled adoringly up at him before she pointed again at the picture. "Oh, and look! Those are your fangs there! My brother, Bennett, says that I have to always add vampire fangs. I one time drew him without any, and our other brothers made fun of him. He told me the bigger the fangs the better, although that didn't really make sense because all their fangs look the same size. Josiah got mad at him, but I don't know why. Do you think Bennett's fangs are longer and he was jealous?"

He looked down at the childish drawing and laughed when he saw the figure's fangs looked like the size of a walrus', and reached past the bottom of the rather squashed looking head.

"I'm sure your brothers were just teasing each other. Nothing you need to be worried about." He glanced down at her curious face and decided a distraction was needed. "It is very nice, little one. I do have two questions though."

"Yes?" She leaned her head against his shoulder and yawned.

He pointed to the top left corner. "Is that an ice cream cone?"

"Yes. I got hungry."

"Ah, I see." He really didn't. "And the glitter?"

"Teddy liked it. He said that when it got on his fur it made him feel pretty."

"Hm." He carefully put the picture down next to him, and stared into the dark pond, his mind turning back to the question of what to do about the two attacked weres. He could see the fish slowly swimming in circles, always moving but never going anywhere new. He sympathized with them.

"What's that?!" The childish gasp and pointed finger made his head jerk around, certain that some enemy had gotten through both his nest's defenses and his own considerable senses.

"Look, there it is again!" she stood up on the bench and clapped her hands. "Look, look! Teddy! Mr. Sheriff Sir! Little moving stars!"

Godric steadied her when she almost danced off the bench in her excitement. "Ah, no. They are not stars, little Alex. Those are fireflies. Your home is too far into the cold north for you to have seen them before."

"Fireflies…" the awed look on her face made something in his chest relax. Peace flowed into him and he impulsively stood. "Would you like to see one?"

Wide eyed innocence greeted him. "You can catch them?"

In a blink he was gone and back again with his hands carefully cupped together. She could see bits of light flash on and off behind his fingers.

"Ooooh, teddy! Look!" She pulled her bear up closer to see. When Mr. Sheriff Sir opened his palms they watched, together, as the dozens of fireflies danced and lit the air.

She scrubbed at her eyes, and he realized that it was rather late for small humans to still be awake.

"Come, little firefly, let's get you to bed." He picked up his gift, and startled when she slipped her small hand into his and smiled sleepily up at him. He again ignored the odd pull in his chest and started to walk slowly enough for short human legs to keep up with him towards the nest. He could see Isabel waiting in the doorway, and gave her a mildly chastising look for going against his orders. She grinned at him, and he, for once, acted his physical age and rolled his eyes.

"Mr. Sheriff Sir?"

"Hm?" he looked down and saw that she was walking with her eyes closed, her teddy practically dragging across the ground. Without thinking he picked her up, and held her safe within his arms. The odd, warm feeling only increased when she laid her head against his shoulder and cuddled close. It had to be her scent. Any vampire would feel protective of the little one, he reasoned.

"Why do they light up like that?"

At least he knew the answer to this, unlike the one about the Tyrannosaurus Rex. "The males light up to attract mates."

"What's a mate?" she mumbled, and sniffed deeply at his throat. "You smell good."

"Thank you." She was practically asleep, and he thought of how to word it to gain some time. "It's when a male and female come together to procreate." He began to walk faster towards the now grinning Isabel.

"What's pro-cree-ate? Is it fun? Would teddy like it too?"

Isabel snickered loudly at the perplexed look on her 2000 year old Sheriff's normally implacable face. He hadn't looked, for want of a better word, 'alive' like that in years.

She patted herself on the back, she had known that sending Alex out to him would be for the best.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I try to respond to every review but if I skipped you, or if you signed in under a Guest account, then thank you! I hope you all continue to enjoy the story. Thanks again to Midnat for being a great Bouncer Of Crazy Ideas!**

**The usual Disclaimer of not owning my own Godric. Boo. **

* * *

**Chapter 4**

"Mr. Sheriff Sir! Mr. Sheriff Sir!"

Godric sighed, and ignored the amused glance between Isabel and Stan. The energetic, and _loud_, banging on his office door was an improvement, he told himself. He winced at a particularly loud thunk.

Well, mostly an improvement.

Quickly he moved and opened the door, only to watch in bemusement when both girl and bear tumbled to the floor.

"Yes, little one?" he asked calmly.

"Look! Look what Mrs. Rosie showed me and teddy from the paper!" She shoved the crumpled, and sticky, piece of paper at Godric, who ignored the silent amusement from Isabel and Stan. It smelled like the syrup that humans poured over their bread products, and when he smoothed it out he saw that it was an advertisement about the State Fair that was in town.

"Teddy wants to see if there are bears!" Alex looked down at her bear, covered his ears, and loudly whispered, "Teddy really wants to stick his tongue out at the bears, because they aren't lucky enough to live with Mr. Sheriff Sir!"

Stan somehow managed to turn his snicker into a rather unconvincing cough at the girl's rambling. While he had never had children while alive, his younger sister had, and from his experience he had a feeling he knew what would come next.

"Mr. Sheriff Sir…can we go? Please? They have a petting zoo where you can pet a real goat! And ride a pony!"

He wondered why anyone would be excited to pet a smelly goat. Although, considering most humans today in developed countries never saw a cow outside of television, he supposed he could understand. Although he still didn't understand why the one fast food chain had cows that misspelled words, and tried to manipulate people into eating fowl.

"Unfortunately young one, I have work to do this eve, and so cannot accompany you on your venture."

She stared blankly, and then shared a confused glance with her teddy. Why did adults like to use such big words? "Um…does that mean you can't go?"

Godric shook his head. "Correct. I cannot."

"What about tomorrow night then? Or the night after?" she asked hopefully, and clutched her bear with trembling fingers. She wanted to throw a temper tantrum, but the last time she had done that her daddy had made it clear that such behavior was 'not fitting, and if she wanted to act like an animal then she could eat grass like one instead of dinner'. She didn't think she would like grass. It was green, and green things were 'good for her' but they sure didn't taste very good! Peas were green, and she and teddy didn't like peas. Yuck!

"I am very busy with Sheriff business, little one. I am sorry." Godric turned back to his desk and picked up a file.

There was a moment of silence before she whispered, "T-That's okay, Mr. Sheriff Sir. I know you're busy with important work."

Something pulled at him, and he looked up as the girl dejectedly walked out of the office. He was so used to her dashing to and fro everywhere, despite being told repeatedly not to run, that he was…concerned.

He glanced at Isabel, and sighed at her cross look. "Yes?"

"Sheriff, it has been a long, long time since you've truly taken any time off to enjoy yourself. Why don't you go to the fair with Alex?"

He shook his head. "You know the amount of work we have now that it's been decided that the Great Revelation will occur in a few years. I do not have time for idle trips at the moment. Perhaps one of you can take her tomorrow night. I will speak with her upon the subject later, and explain the situation."

Isabel again shared a look with Stan before an enigmatic smile crossed her face. "As you wish, Sheriff."

Godric wondered why he felt like he had just been patronized by his underling. "Then let us again turn our attention back to the files sent to us by the king."

* * *

Godric walked silently towards the pond, and wondered when Alex had decided to take his thinking spot as her own.

"It's all your fault, Mr. Sheriff Sir!"

He came around the corner, and the sight that met his eyes made him almost smile. On one side of the bench sat Alex with her arms crossed, and the other sat her bear with their backs facing each other. Alex twisted around to continue her argument, and he stepped into a shadow to watch. His idle amusement faded, however, at her words.

"It _is _your fault, teddy! Mr. Sheriff Sir doesn't like you, and that's why he didn't want to go to the fair! Even though they have _pony rides_! Maybe he found out that we hid the peas from dinner instead of eating them! " She paused and then continued, a hitch in her voice. "The other humans were right! You're nothing but a…a…in-con-ven-ience and a bad teddy!" She shoved at her bear, and he fell with a soft thud to the ground.

For a moment she stood there, but then with a cry, she ran and picked him up. "I'm sorry, teddy! I didn't mean it! I'm the bad girl, not you." She sniffled and rubbed at her eyes. "Do you think if we eat the nasty peas Mr. Sheriff Sir would think we were important too, and want to spend time with us?"

The heartbroken words, and that she thought his needing to work meant that he disliked her, shocked him. Isabel may have been tasked with her care, but he was fully aware of her movements and actions within his nest, and he found himself often smiling at the curious things she said and did. So the idea that anyone would dare call her an inconvenience made a dangerous anger begin to burn, and he let out a low growl. He vamp sped to her and had knelt in front of her before she even realized he was there. The fact that she didn't scream in fear only highlighted how used to his kind she was.

"Little firefly, who told you that you were an inconvenience?" he demanded.

Alex looked down as her thumb crept into her mouth, and she shook her head. She hoped he hadn't seen her push her teddy to the ground. Her bear had already forgiven her, but she didn't want Mr. Sheriff Sir to think she was mean to him. What if he took teddy away from her? She had seen him threaten another Maker for her treatment of her new Child, and she never wanted him to look at her like that!

He leaned over and with gentle fingers under her jaw nudged her face up. "Look at me, Alexandra." he said calmly. "Which humans said such things to you?"

She stared up into warm grey eyes. She liked it when his eyes were warm and soft, instead of when they looked hard like ice. "My teddy and I were playing hide and seek, and I was under a table. They didn't see me, but two of them were talking about how they hated how their vampires paid attention to me." Her lip trembled. "I don't want them to! I don't like them looking at me. I like you and Ms. Isabel and Mr. Stan and Mrs. Rosie but I don't like them!" She leaned forward and buried her head against his shoulder. "I don't like _them_!"

Godric cleared his throat and stiffly patted her back. He had caused more tears than could fill an ocean during his time on this earth, but her tears made him…uncomfortable. It was so strange to feel anything other than numbness and remorse.

"Would you like to go to the fair tonight?" The words seemed to pop out of his mouth before he could stop them, and he internally winced. Since when did he ever speak without knowing exactly what would be said?

She sat up, and the joyful look on her face made him…happy. Another odd feeling.

"A-Are you sure you want to go with us?" she asked, suddenly doubtful.

He thought of the piles of work he needed to do, and weighed it against the fragile look of hope on her face, and the way she clutched at the bear she had named after him. He was no stranger to giving pain to others, yet found that he had no desire to hurt her. Already her scent was changing, and turning softer with her happier emotions.

"Yes, little firefly, I truly wish to go with both of you."

Her smile made the following night's double workload worth it.

* * *

"Do you remember the rules?" he asked, as they paused outside the entrance to the fair.

"Yeeeees," she sighed and bounced in place with her bear tucked securely under her arm. Her brown eyes were alight with excitement. "Don't mention vampires because they don't exist, and call you by your name. I like Mr. Sheriff Sir more, but Godric is really pretty. It sounds like the name of a flower. Do you like flowers? Flowers make teddy sneeze, and it's funny. Do you like bees? I don't! I got stung once and ran around in circles until daddy pulled the stinger out."

Godric slightly smiled, and wondered what he had gotten himself into. He was 2000 years old, but he had no clue what was going on in this child's mind. At least she smelled happy and content, and not sad like she had before. "Yes, flowers are lovely, and bees can indeed be problematic." He turned to walk into the mass of humans, and glanced down when a small hand slipped into his own.

Alex watched wide-eyed at the huge number of people at the fair. She was nervous but she squeezed Mr. Sheriff….no, Mr. Godric's hand, and felt better. The tight, fluttering feeling in her chest eased, and she felt the warm feeling wrap around her. She was safe and secure. She bounced in place, she couldn't wait to ride the ponies! Teddy agreed, and hoped that they wouldn't be scared of him since he was a bear!

She tugged on his hand. "Mr. Godric!"

He glanced down at her and shook his head. "Just Godric, Alex."

She worried her bottom lip, but nodded. Since she and teddy were going to marry him when they grow'd up, she supposed it wasn't rude to not call him 'Mr'. "Godric, can we go see the ponies now?"

He nodded, and began to walk where the scent of horses seemed strongest. The humans subconsciously moved out of his way, which he found himself grateful for. Even though he was dressed in jeans and a grey t-shirt and looked the part of a youth, they could sense that something about him was different. He wrinkled his nose slightly. Sometimes he cursed his acute senses as the scent of humanity, mixed with the fried food that they insisted on shoving into their mouths, along with the summer heat was not a pleasant smell. Not Bubonic Plague bad, but it had it's own unique overtones.

He looked down at the wide-eyed child who currently held her bear up to look at a nearby attraction. "You will not be eating any of the so-called food here."

She blinked, but decided not to argue about not getting to eat funnel cake, even though Mrs. Rosie had said it was wonderful, and smelled super yummy. "Okay, I ate dinner already with Mrs. Rosie. It was good. Except for the peas. Godric?" she asked, and skipped next to him. "Why are vegetables so mushy and nasty if they're good for you?"

"One of life's great mysteries," he murmured, his attention caught by a slight scent upon the breeze. It was submerged behind the smell of deep fried heart attacks on a stick before he could isolate it, but it put him slightly on guard.

She giggled and happily swung their hands as they walked. "You're funny. Oh! Look! Ponies!" she cried, and ran forward to stand at the fence.

He stood next to her and looked at the shaggy animals that were old, and had seen better days. In his day they would have been in the soup pot long ago, but he thought he remembered hearing that humans did not eat horses in the New World. Pity, he vaguely remembered them being rather tasty. The animals were attached to a wheel and walked in a continuous circle with their small riders safely on their backs.

"Can I ride one? Please?" she begged.

"Of course. Is that not one of the main reasons you wished to come to the fair?" he asked.

She gnawed on her lower lip and looked at what were, to her, huge horses. She saw the height requirement stick and held teddy up to it. He was way to short! She couldn't leave him alone out here to watch as she rode by herself. It would be really mean since he was just as excited as she was! Teddy agreed, and said that maybe they should ask Mr. Sheriff Sir about it. She glanced down at teddy and pulled on Mr. Sheriff Sir's pant leg.

He glanced down at her, again surprised at how freely she acted around him, as if she could not feel the power that he exuded that made so many uncomfortable around him. Not even his beloved son Eric treated him so irreverently. He found that he rather liked it.

"Godric?" she whispered. "Can my teddy ride too even though he's not tall enough? Can we ride together? Mr. Sheriff Sir doesn't want to ride alone. They're so big and strong!"

He glanced over at the ponies that barely came up to his sternum. "Yes, I imagine they would let the both of you ride together as long as you held him securely."

She looked up at him, worried that he would think that her teddy wasn't as brave as he was when he fought the hundred tentacle monsters in her closet with only a sword and shield. "My teddy isn't scared, it's just that he's never ridden a horse before. Um…do you think you could walk next to us in case teddy falls off?"

"Awww," a voice said from behind them, and Alex spun around and saw three blonde girls looking at them.

They giggled and looked at each other before one of them spoke. "She's adorable with her little teddy bear! Does she really think it can talk? Is she your sister?" She stared at Godric, and blushed. "I'm Anne, and these are my friends Stacy and Ashley."

Godric looked calmly at the young humans and politely responded, even though he did not approve of their comments about Alex. Nothing about them interested him, but he was used to being flirted with, and badly at that, by teenage humans who believed he was their age. Physically he may resemble them, but he had no interest in children. Especially not ones such as these entitled acting females. What did his son call such females? Ah, yes, a 'dime a dozen'.

Alex blinked as Anne attempted to put a hand on her Godric's arm, only to quickly change her mind at his pointed look.

"So, do you want to ditch the kid with her parental units and hang with us? We could have a good time…ride some rides, and you can win me a stuffed animal from one of the games. Or we can ditch this lame fair, and go see a movie. What do you say?" The girl pulled at her shirt, and lowered the already too low neckline.

"Go away!" Alex shouted and stepped in front of her Mr. Sheriff Sir. "He came to the fair with me and teddy, and you can't have him! We're gonna ride the ponies, and go pet the animals, and then ride the Ferris Wheel, and you're not invited!" Her small fists clenched on her teddy, and her face felt hot. How dare they try and take her Mr. Sheriff Sir away from her! Away from them!

"Woh, she definitely has a temper to match that red hair!" one of the girls laughed, and Alex grew even angrier that they weren't listening to her. Several of the adults in the area also laughed at the little girl, and she blushed even brighter when she saw that nobody took her seriously. She held teddy tighter to her chest. He wanted to leap out and throw something at the girls, but her daddy had said that 'she was not a monkey, and throwing things at people was not good behavior for a young lady' so she figured teddy shouldn't do it either. Even though he wasn't a girl teddy so didn't have to worry about being a 'young lady'. And even though she really, really wanted him to.

"Stop laughin' at me!" she said, and stomped her foot. Teddy really, really didn't like these girls, or the way they were batting their eye lashes at Mr. Sheriff Sir. He was so nice, and it was up to her to protect him from them! She puffed out her chest and nodded. She and teddy could protect him!

"Listen, little girl, go play on your ponies while we talk with your friend." Anne said snidely, all pretense of sweetness gone.

"You … you go away! We were here first! You're all just a bunch of-" she struggled to think of something bad enough to call them, before she remembered something Mr. Stan had called one of the human companions at the nest. "- of bimbos!"

The hand on her shoulder made her mouth snap shut, and she looked up to see Godric frown at her. Her lips trembled as she heard the comment that 'someone was in trouble', but relaxed at the soft look in his eyes. He turned away to look at the girls, and she wrapped her arms around herself and teddy.

"Thank you for the invitation, but I must decline." he said calmly, his face blank.

"Ah, c'mon man! She's just a stupid kid, wouldn't you rather hang out with us?" The girl licked her lips, and jutted out her hip. "You're a hottie and we could have some…fun."

He kept his face emotionless, even as he was disgusted by her actions. She was barely an adult by her kind's standards, and yet here she was willing to go off with some stranger. Even in his earlier days of gluttony and sexual excess, she would not have been to his personal taste.

"No." He ignored the sputtering teenagers, and turned to look at the amused fair employee. "She would like to ride with her bear, and for myself to walk next to them. Is this allowable?"

The man nodded. "Sure, lots of times the kids are scared of riding the horses so it's not unusual for someone to walk next to them. Go ahead, son."

Alex blushed bright red. "My teddy isn't afraid of riding the ponies!" She grabbed Mr. Sheriff Sir's hand though, and pulled him away from the still watching girls. "I still want you to walk next to us. Don't worry, Godric, I'll protect you from those girls!"

* * *

The pony ride had been so awesome, and she and teddy had pretended they were knights fighting evil wizards as the ponies galloped around the circle. "Did you see how fast we were going? Did you?! Teddy and I didn't even fall off! "

Godric chuckled at the excited girl. The horses had been so old they didn't even react to his predatory scent, and the fastest they had moved was at an arthritic shuffle. Yet if he hadn't walked next to them, her excited bouncing would have caused her to fall off every other creaky step.

"You did well, little one. Now, I believe the next item on your list was the Ferris Wheel. I think once we are on it, though, we need to have a talk about your actions with those females."

Alex pouted. Why was Mr. Sheriff Sir angry? She and teddy had protected him, just like he had protected them from the tentacle monsters! Teddy had growled and been super ferocious, and she had made sure they couldn't touch him again. She sighed. Why did adults always make things so hard?

They got on the Ferris Wheel and Alex sat in a miserable huddle with her teddy clenched in her arms. Teddy thought that maybe Godric was mad at them, and the idea made her hurt. She knew they had been _a little _naughty, and that if her daddy had heard her talk like that then she would have been in Big Trouble.

It was quiet as the Ferris Wheel started to turn, and something she had been so excited all day to do, now only made her miserable. She traced the sheriff's badge on her teddy's chest and wondered if Mr. Sheriff Sir was going to yell at them.

"Teddy wants to know if you are you mad at us." she whispered.

"I am not angry. Yet how you behaved, and the name you called them, was very unkind. What made you act in such a way? I would not have left you to go with them," he said calmly.

"They shouldn't have laughed at me! We were having a good time and-," she twisted to look up at him as they rose higher into the air, "-they came and tried to take you away!" Tears welled and she wiped at her eyes. "You're ours, not theirs!"

He stared. That was not exactly the answer he had been expecting. He had thought she was afraid he would leave her alone in a strange place. "Excuse me?"

"T-Teddy and I talked about it, and we decided that we are going to marry you when we got older!" She nodded firmly. "You're _ours, _and they shouldn't have tried to touch you!"

He had just been claimed by a 5 year old and a teddy bear, and he took a moment to again thank whatever deity may exist that Eric had not heard this proposal. He would never have lived it down. Though the idea of having a Fated Mate in this bright and compassionate girl …of being so blessed…he shook his head. He didn't deserve such a gift, and the girl in front of him did not know that her affections were not hers to give. She was destined for another, and this innocent crush she seemed to have developed for him would pass.

The shy hand that slipped into his brought his attention back to the hopeful looking girl.

"I wont be grow'd up for a long, long time but when I am we can get married. We can sit out by the pond and catch fireflies every night, and you can chase away the tentacle monsters, and I can go into your office and keep you company, and…and…you can even hold my bear if you want to." Now nervous, her thumb slipped into her mouth and she sucked on it as she cuddled her teddy into her chest. Her bear was the most important thing she had, but teddy agreed that he would let Mr. Sheriff Sir hold him and care for him too.

Godric stilled as her innocent words made something in his chest, perhaps his long dead heart, clench. He could see her nerves, but also her hope, as she stared up at him. Now he only had to figure out how not to crush her heart.

His eyes never left hers, and his voice, when he answered, was whisper soft and very, very gentle. Only Eric had ever gotten such a tone from him, and only in the earliest days after his Turning.

"Little firefly, your words honor me, but as you grow up your opinion and thoughts will change." He ghosted his hand soothingly down her hair, and lightly tugged at the end of her braid. "I would not hold you to a promise you made as a child. You, and your teddy, will meet another who will be worthy of your bond. Do you understand?"

"No."

Godric slightly smiled. Rarely did he hear that word. "No?"

She shook her head so vigorously that her hair started to come out of its neat braid. "Teddy and I already made up our minds. We talked about it _lots_! You're super nice, and you have pretty eyes like a thundercloud, and you are really brave, and you keep us safe, and you smell good!"

Godric struggled to keep his face solemn. Thunderclouds? That was a new one. He had smiled, laughed, and been more confused by this girl than he had been by any other soul for centuries. Perhaps it was because she was a Fated Mate…but no, he had met others of her kind before, and they had never made him feel so fiercely protective yet also oddly gentle. It had to be her youth and her age. He had seen the other vampires in his nest struggle with their need to pamper and keep her safe. Yet it seemed she preferred the company of himself, and his lieutenants, and only wanted to be left alone by the others.

"How about this then, little firefly. We will agree to disagree on this, but you may bring the question up again when you are 18." By which time, he knew, she would have felt The Pull towards her actual mate, and would have long forgotten him. The thought oddly depressed him, but he ignored it.

She looked at her teddy, and they seemed to have a brief conversation, before she nodded. "Okay." She held out her hand. "Shake on it? Daddy says that humans always want to shake hands at the end of a deal."

She took his hand and shook it energetically up and down, and he slightly smiled at her exuberance.

She held teddy up towards him. "You have to shake his hand too."

With a solemn expression he grabbed the toy's paw and gave it a gentle shake. "There. It's a deal. Now let's enjoy the rest of the ride, and then we will go to the petting zoo. After that, I think it's time we left so you can get to bed."

With a happy sigh she snuggled into her Mr. Sheriff Sir's side and watched as the Ferris Wheel began its descent. She _was _getting sleepy, but she had a warm glow deep in her chest. She had asked him, and he had said yes! Teddy glared at her and she blushed. Okay, so, she and _teddy _had asked him…but he had still said yes! Well, he had said that they would talk again when she was 18, but she just knew that he would say yes to her. She glanced up at him and saw that he had his blank face on again as he looked off into the distance. That was okay, though. He was probably thinking about how much fun they were going to have catching fireflies, and whatever it was married people did when she, and teddy of course, got older.

The feeling in her chest grew stronger and she smiled, content with the world and her place in it.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who reads and/or reviews my story! I try to respond to all the reviews but if I missed you, or if you reviewed as a guest, then THANK YOU! As always, a special thanks to Midnat. **

**Here's the usual Disclaimer Of Importance. **

* * *

**Chapter 5**

"And then!" Alex said. "We rode the Ferris Wheel and talked, and he agreed he would marry us when me and teddy got older!" She stood on a chair next to the counter as she carefully stirred the batter for the cake Mrs. Rosie was making. She and teddy were so excited! Chocolate cake was their favorite, and Mrs. Rosie had even let her crack the eggs!

Mrs. Rosie smiled down at the happy child. Her family had served Mr. Godric's for several generations and, while they had all been glamoured to never speak of it, she had always known that the quiet and somber 'teenager' with old looking eyes was a vampire.

"So he agreed to marry you, did he?" she asked, curious on what the Sheriff had _actually _said.

"Yep. He said that when I was eighteen I could ask him about it again, but I know he'll say yes! He even shook hands with me and teddy too. Humans do that when they have a deal! Me and teddy are both sa-tis-feed." she said importantly. "Did I tell you that he saved us from two _hundred _tentacle monsters in my closet with only a sword? He was amazing!" she gushed. "He moved his sword back and forth so fast I couldn't even see it move!" She raised the mixing spoon and swung it back and forth, and splattered cake batter across the counter next to her teddy. "Oops!"

The housekeeper bit her lip to keep from smiling. "Yes, child, you've told me a time or two." Or, rather, several times every day for the past week with each retelling growing a little more _interesting_. This time she almost lost her composure at the girl's words. She didn't know why Alex was special to the vampires, but she did know that ever since the girl came to stay with them, the house seemed happier.

Carefully the two poured the batter into the greased cake pans and were about to put them in the oven when the kitchen door slammed open and one of the day guards that doubled as a groundskeeper staggered in. Blood dripped from his mouth and he gurgled a warning, before he fell to the floor.

Alex grabbed her teddy and held him to her chest. "M-Mrs. Rosie?"

The housekeeper immediately grabbed Alex and shoved her out of the kitchen. "Child!" she hissed. "Run and hide! It's noon, and not even the Sheriff will be awake. Hide, and no matter what you hear, only come out if I, or the Sheriff, come for you. Go!"

Alex shook, absolutely terrified as she heard loud voices enter the kitchen. The shouted, 'Where's the little bitch?!' made her turn and dash towards the stairs. Angrily, she blinked tears away. Her daddy had started to teach her how to climb and hide, and now she needed to take care of herself and teddy until Mr. Sheriff Sir woke up. He was going to be so mad, and the mean men were going to regret coming here! She took a deep breathe She wanted him to be proud of her and teddy when he woke up and found that they had managed to hide from the bad men! Teddy was scared, but she would take care of them both! She would be strong, and Mr. Sheriff Sir would be so proud of her! Maybe even give her a hug!

She ran up to the third floor and dashed towards Mr. Sheriff Sir's office, but it was locked.

"Teddy," she whispered. "What are we gonna do?" Teddy didn't know, but he was really scared, and cuddled closer to her. They needed to hide!

Loud footsteps started on the stairs, along with the sound of things breaking. She dashed down the hall to her bedroom, and her eyes went to her bed with the pretty canopy and bed skirt that made her feel like a princess. She gulped and looked down at her bear. There was only one place she could hide…and she really, really hoped that Mr. Sheriff Sir had scared the monsters off for good! She shoved teddy under the bed skirt to look for any monsters, but he said there was nothing there. Footsteps stopped outside of the door, and she dove under the bed.

She and teddy laid there, shivering as the door shattered. He buried his head into her neck, and they both tried to be super quiet like a bunny rabbit. The bed skirt fell all the way to the floor, and she could only hear the slow steps as they moved around her bedroom, and then all was quiet. She looked at her bear, and they both breathed a big sigh of relief that they had escaped. The room was quiet, and she cuddled her face into Mr. Sheriff Sir's soft tummy.

They were safe.

She screamed when her bed was flipped over, and blinked up at the bright light. Above her was one of the mean men that had spoken to Mr. Sheriff Sir in his office.

"What have we here?" he said coldly. "Looks like the little cupcake decided to hide under the bed, but the monsters found her anyway!"

"Go away!" she shouted, and scrambled to her feet, teddy held tightly to her chest. She had to protect them, but they were so small and he was so very big! She ran towards the door, but cried out when a hand grabbed her shoulder. She twisted and bit down on the arm holding her, bit down like she had seen her brothers and daddy do. The man howled, and gripped her shoulder tighter, even as the nails tore into her skin. Teddy growled, but the man ignored her brave little bear.

"Leave us alone! Mr. Sheriff Sir is going to be mad at you when he wakes up!" She tried to claw and kick at him, but he just laughed and shook her until she hung limp. She and teddy glared up at him, but refused to let him see their tears. "You're a bad man!"

The man sneered, but the sight of her clutching her stuffed toy had some modicum of decency come to the surface, and he lowered her to the floor. "He did nothing when my teenage children were tormented and tortured by filthy vampires. Let's see what he does when one of his precious fang whores is taken. You must be extra special for him to bother keeping you here, and to play happy family with you at the Fair."

Another voice from the doorway spoke up. "Jesus, Ryan, she's a little kid! Just pick her up so we can get out of here. The scent and feel in this place is freaking me out! I say we burn it to the ground!"

"No." Ryan snapped, and Alex trembled in his arms. "I want the leech to know what happened here, in his own _nest. _If he doesn't hand over the vampire responsible for my children, then he can get her back in _pieces_."

Alex clawed at the arm holding her, but there was nothing she could do. She looked down at her scared teddy, and her lip quivered. She didn't want to be alone, but she didn't want her bear to get hurt either. He argued with her, told her he would keep her safe, but with a sob she dropped him to the floor. She stared at him as she was carried out of the room. Hopefully Mr. Sheriff Sir would keep him safe for her!

* * *

The sun had just set when Godric abruptly awoke. Something was wrong. Very wrong. He took a deep breathe, and the next moment the door to his safe room exploded outward. Within a blink he was in the kitchen, and stared at the destruction of the once orderly room. Tables and chairs were overturned, and one of the groundskeepers was dead. The housekeeper, however, was still alive and tied to a chair, her mouth gagged. Godric listened, but there was no other heartbeat in his nest, and his instincts rose. He knew the scent in the room, as the wolf had made no attempt to conceal it.

He carefully removed the gag and ropes. "Where is Alex?"

"Mr. Godric! Four big men came in at noon. I told Alex to run, to hide and to not come out, but they knocked me out and by the time I woke up the house was quiet. I…I think they took her!" The elderly woman began to sob. "That poor, innocent lamb!"

Godric took another deep breathe and the very faint scent of a Fated Mate's blood…of _Alex's _blood, caught his attention. Without a backward glance, he followed her scent up the stairs to his locked office door. The low pitch growl brought Stan and Isabel to his side, although they kept a cautious distance. She had tried to go to where she felt safest, and when she could not enter his office, she had fled to her bedroom. He could practically taste the fear in her scent, and the eyes he turned on his underlings made them flinch away as his power swelled in the room. There would not be a vampire in his Area that did not intimately know his displeasure this eve.

"Sheriff," Isabel whispered. "Please, pull it back. It is too much."

His eyes flickered over the cringing vampires, and he viciously tamped down his anger even as he felt the bonds to his children crash open. He ignored their shocked inquiry, as he stepped over the shattered door to Alex's room. He felt something, his heart perhaps, clench when he saw the little bear on the floor next to two small drops of blood. The bed had been flipped and shoved into the wall, and the canopy hung in shredded ribbons. He could smell her in the area that had been under the bed, and could only guess that she had hidden there. The fear she must have felt, to have willingly hid where she believed monsters to dwell, made his anger finally reach heights that had not been felt since his son was a newly Turned vampire.

His voice, when he addressed his underlings, was arctic. "Isabel, I wish to know how my nest was infiltrated by four Weres. You will glamour every human companion within these walls to see if any of them had a hand in this travesty, and then speak with the vampires. Stan, you will come with me.

"Where are we going?" Stan asked.

"To find the Packmaster, and demand answers."

* * *

She huddled in the corner of the room and hugged herself, her eyes trained on the closed door. She wanted Mr. Sheriff Sir, and she wanted her bear. She wanted to be back at the nest and to cuddle with Mr. Sheriff Sir while they watched the fireflies at the pond. She wanted the warm blanket feeling to be back!

She scrambled back as the door opened, and her thumb slipped into her mouth when a woman entered with a plate of food, the mean man directly behind her in the doorway.

"Shh, it's okay, sweetie pie." the woman soothed. "Here, I brought you some dinner."

Her stomach rumbled, and Alex really, really wanted to eat even if a lot of the stuff on the plate was green. She looked from it to the woman. "My daddy told me to never take food from strangers."

The woman smiled and nodded. "Sweetie, your…daddy…is right, but what if I tell you my name? We wouldn't be strangers then." The sickly sweet baby talk voice made Alex frown.

She glared and pushed back further into the corner. "I'm not a stupid baby, I'm _five! _Daddy told me that anybody he, or my brothers, didn't know was a stranger. I want to go home! I want Mr. Sheriff Sir!"

The woman frowned and shook her head, even as the man in the doorway scoffed. "Look, I know you're scared, but it's a good thing that you're here, as no child should live in a leech's nest. You can stay here, and we can try and find your real family."

"They are my real family! Please, I want to go home! I want my teddy!" She turned her back on the woman and curled up into a small ball. She hoped Mr. Sheriff Sir had found her teddy, she knew he had to be worried about her. She sniffled when her shoulder hit the wall, it really hurt where the bad man had gripped her! She had bled a little, and she hoped that when Mr. Sheriff Sir came that she could get some band-aids that had Batman on them. Even though Mr. Sheriff Sir was so much cooler than Batman! She wondered if he would kiss it to make the ouch go away. Mrs. Rosie had done that when she had hurt her finger, and it had made it feel a lot better!

The woman sighed and turned towards her companion. "Ryan, are you sure they were hurting her? I don't see any marks on her, and she seems well fed."

"Clara, don't get attached to her! She's our ticket to getting the vamp that hurt our kids! Now, drop the food off and get out here. The corpses should be up by now and I suspect that we will get a phone call soon from the Packmaster."

The door shut, and Alex scuttled under the bed, and out of sight. She would rather deal with the tentacle monsters that might be there rather than the mean man again. She felt better in the small space, more secure, and finally she began to drift off to sleep. Mr. Sheriff Sir would come, probably on a white horse with a sword like in the Disney movies, and he would save her! She wondered if he would let her ride on his horse with him. Hopefully he would bring her teddy, and she would give both of them a kiss on the cheek. In the movies the princess always kissed the prince on the mouth, but that was gross! Kissing on the mouth was yucky, and she would never ever do that! Not even when they got married! Nuh uh! Nope.

Her eyes closed and she sighed. She couldn't wait for Mr. Sheriff Sir to save her. When he did, she was going to hug him and not let go for hours and hours!

* * *

Godric paused in his address to the Area vampires. He could feel his son approaching, the anger and worry he had felt enough to pull Eric from his Area in Louisiana. His daughter also moved towards him, although much slower as she had not yet shown the gift of flight. Eric, however, would be here within minutes.

"You know what you have to do. Keep in contact with Stan, and if you should come across her scent you will immediately inform me. If I discover that you did not, I would be…displeased. And I promise you that I would find out, and my displeasure would become yours. Ten fold." He glared at his underlings, and nodded. "Dismissed."

The vampires shivered, not used to the fully unleashed cold power that the normally calm Sheriff gave off, and quickly vamp sped from the room. The front door opened to a blur of movement and his son fell to his knees before him.

"Maker," he said reverently. "I felt your anger in Louisiana."

Godric nodded, and moved towards his office. "Follow."

Once behind closed doors he spoke. "Last week the Packmaster came before me with one of his subordinate wolves with a claim that the man's older teenage children had been blood violated and beaten by vampires. I agreed to see them to validate their story, but something was off. The bites were made only to seem like that of a vampire, but both carried the smell of a rogue Shifter. The Packmaster accepted my ruling on the subject, but the other wolf disagreed." He kept his back turned to Eric, and picked up the small bear that sat on his desk. "Earlier today the Were, and three other wolves, entered my nest with the help of two companions who were not adequately glamoured by their vampires."

Eric shifted to see what his Maker held in his hands, the feelings he was getting across their bond were…odd. He blinked in shock and cast a worried look at his Maker. When did his Maker become interested in children's toys? Especially ones that had been obviously altered to have vampire fangs? Was it a warning, or a mockery, left by the intruders? Although it did smell surprisingly good, but not in a way that made him hungry. Also, was that pink glitter all over the floor? His skin itched as he had a flashback to the eighties, and Pam's obsession with glitter. The stuff got everywhere and he swore he still found some even years later. He shook his head and focused again on his Maker.

"Godric, what did they take? I have not felt such anger in centuries, and it seems a bit extreme for just a violation of your nest and authority."

"Two weeks ago one who I owed a favor asked me to temporarily care for his daughter. His adopted daughter." He carefully put down the teddy bear, but kept his back to his son. "It turned out that she is a Fated Mate."

Eric's eyes widened, before he was able to control himself. "A Fated Mate? Why would they chose to take _her_? Only vampires would be able to tell what she is, or would even care."

"Alex asked for me to escort her to the State Fair. While there I had thought I scented something vaguely familiar, but it dispersed before I could focus on it. My belief is he saw us there, and determined that her kidnapping would cause my opinion on his children's trouble to sway."

The Viking blinked, and then leered. "She got you to go to the State Fair? Is she gorgeous? Well endowed? How soon will she feel The Pull? The scent of her blood is enough that I envy the vampire who gets to bite that neck! The power such a mate would bring would be worth the hassle of being bound to only a single individual for eternity."

One moment Eric was talking to his Maker, the next he was up against a bookcase, Godric's hand around his neck.

"You will watch your tongue, my son. Do not forget yourself. Fated Mates, especially _this_ Fated Mate, are not to be made a mockery of. Is that understood?" His Maker's eyes were cold and hard as they stared into his.

"Yes, Maker." He shivered at the feel of his father's power pressed against him.

"Good," Godric nodded. "I have my Area vampires searching the city, yet the oldest of them is only 800 years, and our senses are far sharper. The Packmaster went to the rogue wolf's home but no one was there. Obviously they have another den where they have taken her."

"You are very concerned for her, father." Eric said. While others may see Godric as perfectly calm and in control, he had known him for centuries and could see the signs of severe stress and anger. It was unusual for Godric to care about anyone outside the bloodline to this extent. He wondered what sort of female this Fated Mate was, to inspire such emotion in his distant Maker. Obviously she must be beautiful, intelligent, witty, and sexy to have attracted, and be remotely worthy of, his Maker's attention. Perhaps she was even destined for Godric? If any deserved such a gift, it would be his father!

"I promised her she would be safe within my nest. It…distresses me that she has been harmed because of my actions."

"Godric, it's not-!" Eric began, before he was interrupted.

"I wish to speak no more on the subject. Come, we must go." Moving faster than even Eric could see, he grabbed the bear, and secured it in the inner pocket of his grey leather jacket. When he found Alex, he knew that she would want her teddy back in her possession.

"Where shall we fly first?" Eric asked.

Godric paused on the doorstep of his nest. For some reason, he felt a desire to go east, and within seconds two of the oldest vampires on the continent were flying over Dallas.

* * *

The sounds of crashing made Alex jerk awake. She moved further under the bed, scared about what would happen next. Suddenly, she relaxed as she felt the warm fuzzy blanket feeling wrap around her. Mr. Sheriff Sir was here! He had come for her! She so couldn't wait to tell him how brave she had been, and how she hadn't cried. She hoped that she could ride the white horse with him back to the nest!

The door to the room slammed open, but she kept still and quiet like her daddy taught her.

"Alex, I can hear your heartbeat and smell that you are here. Come out. I am Eric Northman, Child of Godric."

Her eyes widened and she poked her head out from under the bed. "Mr. Sheriff Sir is your daddy? Did you come on a horse too? Are you really a Viking? My brothers told me about you!" She giggled and scrambled to her feet. "Hi!" She craned her neck back and her mouth fell open. "Wow, you are super tall!"

Eric stared. When he had been told about the Fated Mate he had imagined a girl on the cusp of eighteen and almost ready to feel The Pull towards her vampire mate. Not a teacup human who beamed up at him and bounced on her toes, her red hair mostly pulled from it's braid. His eyes narrowed on her shoulder and the blood he could see, and smell, on her clothes. His instincts rose, and he growled that a filthy Were would dare to lay his hands on her.

He ignored her questions and looked her over from the mismatched socks on her feet to the, he would never admit it out loud, adorable overalls. "You are a little girl." he said finally.

Her mouth dropped open and she pouted. "I'm _five_! That's practically all grow'd up!" She leaned around him. "Where is Mr. Sheriff Sir? I want to give him his kiss!"

Eric blinked, and his lips twitched at the girl's name for his Maker. If nothing else, the teacup appeared to have some charm. He supposed he would have to talk to her to keep her occupied while his Maker dispensed some justice to the idiots downstairs. "You plan on kissing my Maker?"

She stared at him as if he was an idiot. "He rode up on a white horse and saved me, just like in the Disney movies! All the princesses kiss the prince, except I'm only gonna kiss his cheek because kissing on the mouth is yuck!" She paused, and eyeballed the super tall vampire in front of her. "Um…do I have to kiss you too, since you saved me?"

Eric struggled not to sneer. She may be a Fated Mate, and her scent may make him feel protective, but in no way was he going to hold still for _that. _Sometimes it was every vampire for himself and, unfortunately for him, Godric was not here. "No, that will not be necessary. Godric is the one to have really saved you, and so should get all of the…reward." At her doubtful look he had a stroke of brilliance. "You wouldn't want to hurt his feelings, would you?"

Her eyes widened at the thought of hurting her favoritist vampire in the whole wide world. Well, her favoritist after her daddy, of course. She scrunched up her nose, she would never tell her daddy that she loved Mr. Sheriff Sir just a _smidge _more. She didn't want to hurt her daddy's feelings! She worried at the problem of who was her favoritist vampire, and finally decided they could share it so nobody would cry. She nodded her head to herself, and beamed up at the super tall vampire in front of her. Teddy would be so proud of her decision! He loved Mr. Sheriff Sir too!

"You have pretty hair. Like a princess!" she blurted out.

Eric rolled his eyes. Great, he was just compared to some inbred, damsel-in-distress cartoon character by a miniature human.

Alex froze, and smiled as the warm feeling grew stronger. Mr. Sheriff Sir was almost here!

Eric watched the girl's face light up as she looked past him. He could sense his Maker in the doorway, and watched the two with interest. He couldn't wait to tell his sister about this, she would never believe him.

"Little firefly." Godric said quietly.

Her lips trembled at her nickname, the adrenaline that had kept her going for the last few hours finally fading away. "Mr. Sheriff Sir, I knew you would come for me." She looked up at him, the adoration and trust plain to see.

He vamp sped and knelt in front of her. He growled at the spots of blood on her shoulder and brushed cool fingertips over the wounds, the touch as soft as a butterfly's wings. "Were you hurt anyplace other than this?" he asked gently. If the answer was yes, he would go back and break the rest of the bones in the Were's bodies before he killed them.

"She shook her head, and her chin began to wobble as she looked up into warm grey eyes. "I tried to hide, like my daddy taught me, but he found me under my bed. I-I was bad and tried to get into your office even though it's not allowed. I'm s-sorry. Are you mad at me? Did you see teddy? I left him so he wouldn't get hurt, and could tell you what happened. I didn't cry at all!" A single tear traced down her cheek, and she finally broke.

"I-I was so s-scared!" she wept, and flung herself into Mr. Sheriff Sir's arms. Safe. She was safe. Nothing could hurt her here. She turned her face into his neck and let out all the pain and fear she had bottled up.

Godric held the child close, and breathed in her scent. She needed a bath, as he despised the smell of the wolf on her, but underneath it all was that of a frightened Fated Mate. She was also tired, hungry and currently clung to his neck hard enough that he would have been in danger of strangulation if he actually needed to breathe.

"Little one," he whispered, and awkwardly rubbed her back as she sobbed noisily into his throat. He could feel his Child's surprise at his tone, but ignored him. "Alexandra," he soothed gently. "You are safe." At her name, she finally began to calm.

With one hand he unzipped his jacket, and pulled out the small bear. "I have something for you."

"My bear!" She cuddled him close, but refused to give up her grip on her Mr. Sheriff Sir. Teddy was happy to be back with her, and told her all about how Mr. Sheriff Sir had ridden a white horse to save her, and had fought evil witches and dragons to find her! Her teddy had missed her as much as she had missed him, but he had liked spending time with Mr. Sheriff Sir too.

"Come, it is time to go back to the nest." Godric went to put the child down, but she clung to him like a baby koala.

"Are we gonna ride the white horse?" she asked excitedly, tears forgotten.

Godric ignored the amused snort from his son and looked at her in confusion. "White horse?"

She stared up at him, and he absentmindedly wiped the tears away. "Well, yeah. Princes always ride white horses to save the princess from the evil dragons!" She leaned up and gave him a noisy, and wet, kiss on the cheek. Teddy was jealous, but just this once she was going to ignore her bear. Mr. Sheriff Sir had come to save _her,_ so only she should get to kiss him!

Godric stared in consternation at the girl. He wanted to wipe his cheek off from the rather damp kiss, but at the same time she looked so pleased with herself he didn't want to hurt her. He sent a strong surge of disapproval to his laughing progeny, strong enough to cause Eric to stagger, before he vamp sped out of the house. He somehow managed to shrug out of his leather jacket and wrap it snugly around the clinging girl to hide her from the view of the Packmaster and other watching Weres.

"I trust you will deal with this appropriately?" Godric warned, and his power rose and pressed against the subdued pack. Unlike the others the girl in his arms only snuggled closer, and gave a happy sigh. "He drew blood from one under my protection. Tell him the truth you uncovered of his children and the rogue Shifter, and know that if he is not adequately punished the broken bones he currently suffers will be nothing compared to what shall befall him."

At the Packmaster's nod, Godric rose into the air and flew quickly towards his nest. Once there he nodded to Isabel and Stan. "Recall the Area vampires to the nest. This night we will have a meeting about what is the proper glamouring needed for human companions leading up to the Great Revelation. Also, the punishment for the vampires whose humans gave access to the nest will occur. We will meet in two hours. Dismissed. Isabel, come with me." He led the way up the stairs to his office as Isabel and his son followed.

Alex jerked awake from her light doze and her head popped out of the leather jacket. "Ms. Isabel?" She grinned at the female vampire. "Ms. Isabel! Mr. Sheriff Sir saved me! I was super brave! I bit the mean man who took me just like my daddy and brothers do!" She glanced down at teddy and nodded. "Teddy said that it's too bad that I don't have fangs like his 'cause I can't bite too hard with my human teeth."

She shyly glanced up at Godric as they entered the office and he sat her down on the desk. "I have boo boos on my shoulder. Can I have batman band-aids? Can you kiss them and make them feel better like Mrs. Rosie did to my finger?"

Godric sighed as he shared a bemused glance with Isabel, and ignored his amused son. He could sense his daughter approaching, and knew that she too would soon find enjoyment in his strange predicament.

"Isabel?" he asked quietly, and she vamp sped away and back with the first aid kit they had restocked when Alex had come to stay with them.

Alex looked down at teddy and worried that there would be the white fizzy stuff that hurt when it was put on a cut. Mr. Sheriff Sir wouldn't do that to her, would he? Teddy didn't know but said that maybe if she didn't say anything, he would forget. Teddy hoped that he got a batman band-aid too!

Isabel easily tore the tattered shirt over the girl's arm and the three vampires hissed at the five puncture wounds. Most were superficial except where his thumb had ripped at her skin. She glanced mischievously at her Sheriff and handed over the recently bought Batman band-aids. This should be rather interesting. "Here."

Godric stared down at the box which, for some reason, had the outline of a bat against a yellow background. He opened the package only to contemplate the separate pieces of bandage. How was he to open them? Did she not need something to wrap around her arm instead?

Alex looked up from her giggling teddy and bounced excitedly. Mrs. Rosie had bought her these band-aids, and they were super cool! "Can I open them? Please? It's my favoritist part! Kinda like opening a present."

Gladly, he handed them over and carefully watched as the girl peeled the outer paper away and pulled off two backings that hid the plastic smelling adhesive. Before she could hand it to him, he quickly smeared on the antibacterial ointment that Isabel gave him.

He looked at the very small bandage. "Are you sure it is big enough?" he asked doubtfully. Granted, the wounds were not large, but they seemed very inadequate.

Isabel shared an amused glance with Eric and nodded. "Yes, they are typical of modern day bandages, Sheriff."

Alex peeled five band-aids and watched Mr. Sheriff Sir carefully place them over her boo boos. "Can teddy have one too?" she asked hopefully. She held up his soft leather paw pad. "He hurt his paw!"

Godric felt he was getting a lot of unneeded practice in ignoring the amusement from both his progeny and his underling as he carefully smoothed a band-aid over the paw of a stuffed animal named after him. The smile she gave him soothed his ruffled feathers and he admitted, if only to himself, that he was glad the strange ordeal of healing a human was over. Now she could go to bed, and he could deal with the Area meeting. He started to turn away, when he felt a small hand slip into his.

"Mr. Sheriff Sir! You forgot to kiss them to make them all better!" Alex begged. "Please?"

"Child, I cannot give you my blood, you know this. So how can my kissing them make them 'all better'?"

She huffed. "I don't know, it's magic! It just works, and Mr. Sheriff Sir's paw really hurts too!"

Godric winced and resigned himself to the inevitable.

"Mr. Sheriff Sir?" Eric asked gleefully. "You named your bear after Godric?"

She beamed. Teddy loved his name, it made him feel big and strong like a real bear! She wiggled on the desk and almost fell off before Ms. Isabel grabbed her. "Yeah! Mr. Sheriff Sir got him for me, so I named him after him because he's big and tough just like Mr. Sheriff Sir! Did you know that he fought off four _hundred _tentacle monsters in my closet and under my bed? With a huge sword?" She again bounced excitedly in her seat and looked up at her Mr. Sheriff Sir, who looked rather weird.

She leaned forward and loudly whispered, "Mr. Sheriff Sir…does your tummy hurt? You look like it does. Do you want to hug teddy so you feel better?"

Eric grinned wickedly and looked at his frustrated Maker. This information was pure gold! "So Godric fought off four hundred monsters with only a single sword?"

"Yep! He was so brave! Teddy and I saved him too though! We met these…these _bimbos _at the pony ride. We told them he was ours, and we were going to marry him when we grow'd up so they couldn't have him." She shared a happy glance with her teddy. They would never let Mr. Sheriff Sir be sad and alone again!

Godric sighed, and debated if he would be the first vampire to need an antacid. "I said you could bring up the subject again, child, once you reached eighteen. I also remember that episode happening a little differently, although you still managed to remember Stan's unfortunate word choice."

Isabel struggled to hold in her smile, and carefully began to clean up the band-aid trash. The pieces got everywhere, much like the pink glitter from Alex's art projects which were all over the floor of the office. It definitely gave an interesting ambiance to the Sheriff's innermost domain of authority and power.

At her stubborn look he decided that perhaps it would be best to distract her from revealing anything _else _to his son. He quickly leaned down and lightly pressed his lips to each band-aid.

"There, it is all better now."

Alex beamed, but frowned when teddy grumbled about his hurt paw. "You forgot teddy's paw!"

Reluctantly, he leaned down to press a kiss against the toy's 'wounded' paw, his attention solely on getting out of the situation with his dignity intact. A sudden shift within him made him close his eyes in defeat.

"Father," a female voice demanded from the door. "Why are you kissing a teddy bear?"


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hey everyone! I'm not in a coma somewhere unable to write (there have been some questions sent to me about that, lol) just super busy with life and trying to write three different stories. As always, thank you to everyone who reads and/or reviews! I hope you enjoy it and that it is worth the wait. Midnat, once again thank you for helping me herd my crazy plot flamingos into some sort of order. PS- For anyone who is waiting for an update on "Ancients", it's almost done!**

**Disclaimer: I only own what True Blood hasn't called dibs on. Although I'm willing to fight them on the Godric part of that, lol!**

* * *

**Chapter 6**

Alex looked at the pretty lady in the doorway and waived. "Hi! I'm Alex! Do you have boo boos too? Me and teddy's Mr. Sheriff Sir is super good at kissing them and making them feel better! He's so awesome!" She beamed up at her vampire, and slipped her hand into his. Teddy wanted to hold hands with him too, but she pretended she didn't hear his grumbles.

If Eric had needed to breathe, his suppressed laughter at the expression on his sister's face probably would have killed him. The fact that his Maker had been claimed by a child and a stuffed toy was only the…how did the humans put it? Ah, the 'icing on the cake'!

Nora stared at the strange sight of a small human touching her feared Maker with nary a concern…and the incredible fact that her famously standoffish Maker allowed it! In fact, he seemed to subconsciously wrap his ancient power around the girl, who only seemed to bask in it in return. Who was she? Her Maker did not believe in taking pets, and even if she did, the girl was years too young.

She took a deep breathe, and stiffened. Godric had been a thorough teacher, and she stared at the youngest Fated Mate she had ever seen, her eyes now trained on the semi-hidden shimmering marks on her throat and wrists.

"Father…what…how?"

Alex's eyes widened, and she and teddy looked at each other. "Mr. Sheriff Sir is your daddy too, like he is Mr. Eric's?" She bounced up and down on the desk. "Are you Naughty Nora? My brother Bennett told me all about you! Well," she said honestly, and leaned against Mr. Sheriff Sir's comfy arm. "I actually was s'posed to be sleeping, but my brothers were talking about 'vampire hotties'. Why are you naughty? Do you get put in Time Out a lot like me and teddy? Time Out is the worst!"

She yawned, and looked at the wide-eyed vampires. Why were they looking at her like that? Teddy said they were probably jealous that she was holding hands and snuggled up to Mr. Sheriff Sir. She puffed her chest out, proud that out of all of them Mr. Sheriff Sir let _her _cuddle with him. Teddy felt super proud too, and they couldn't wait to brag to Mrs. Rosie! Teddy just knew that she would be really impressed!

She looked back at the pretty new vampire. "And what's a hottie? Josiah said that Bennett liked you, and wanted to kiss you, and Bennett tried to beat him up until daddy told them they were being 'bad role models'. Do you want to kiss my brother? Kissing on the mouth is yucky! I kissed my Mr. Sheriff Sir on the cheek because he saved me from the mean man! Just like Prince Charming in the movies! Even though he didn't have a white horse!"

Nora looked over at her brother, who seemed to struggle to keep his composure, and a slow, wicked smile spread across her face. "Yes, my father can be very dashing, just like Prince Charming, although it is such a shame about the lack of a white horse!" She gave a twinkling smile to her narrow-eyed Maker and turned back to the little girl. "And no Alex, I was not put in Time Out. I do believe your brothers were teasing each other, and did not actually mean that I had been bad. Also, a 'hottie' is a term used to say that someone is attractive." Nora grinned at the blank look on the child's face. "Attractive means pretty."

Alex's eyes widened and she turned and loudly whispered to Ms. Isabel. "Does that mean that my Mr. Sheriff Sir is a hottie? Me and teddy think he's super pretty! He has thundercloud eyes!"

Isabel bit her lip, and looked away from her resigned Sheriff. Most people would be unable to see beyond his blank face, but she had worked as his lieutenant for four hundred years both in Denmark and in Dallas. Frankly, she had not seen him so bemused in decades. She grinned and shared a look with Eric and Nora. Thundercloud eyes! God, she wanted to laugh so hard, but the warning glare from her Sheriff, and the sweet look on Alex's face, made her bite her tongue. And where had she picked up the idea to keep calling him 'hers'?

"Come," Isabel said. "I think it's time for a certain little girl and her teddy to have a bath before being put to bed. You smell unfortunately of wolf."

"But…I don't…" Alex sighed at the stern look Ms. Isabel gave her. "Mr. Sheriff Sir?" she asked, and tugged on his hand. "Will you make sure there are no monsters under the bed again? Can you tuck me and teddy in and give us a hug goodnight?"

Nora smirked at her beloved father. "Alex, of course he wouldn't mind scaring the monsters away! That's what princes do for their princesses!" She ignored her Maker's warning over their bond and smiled at the small girl. "So, just how _does _he scare the monsters away?"

Godric internally sighed and looked down at the proudly beaming child. He ruefully realized what was coming next and resigned himself to his daughter's teasing. As long as she did not make Alex feel bad or embarrassed, he would tolerate it. For awhile.

"By snicking down his fangs and growling of course! I thought _everybody _knew that! He scared away _six hundred_ of them last time!"

* * *

"Can I wear the fuzzy plurple footie pajamas with the bunnies on them? The ones with the bunny feet?" she asked. She really didn't want to go to bed, and struggled to think of some reason to stay up. Preferably with Mr. Sheriff Sir. What if the bad men came back when her vampire prince was asleep? The fear churned in her stomach and she didn't know how to make it go away.

"The word is 'purple' little one," Isabel said as she zippered her into the fleece pajamas. The girl was wan, and lacked her typical animation ever since the Sheriff had left worried her. "Alex, it will be okay. Godric has taken care of it, and now no one bad can get into the nest while we sleep. You are safe."

Alex fidgeted and looked down at her fleece covered feet that had eyes and bunny ears on them. "Mr. Sheriff Sir didn't keep me in the office when Ms. Nora came. She's super hottie too. Does…does he like her more than me and teddy? It's just…it'll be a long time before we're all grow'd up and can marry him."

Isabel paused and looked down at the worried little girl. The crush she had on the Sheriff was hilariously cute, especially since her normally unflappable Sheriff was not exactly sure how to deal with the situation. He could politely, or not so politely, turn away the most beautiful of both vampire and humans with nary any effort, but he seemed to flounder when it came to how to deal with the rather determined five-year-old and her teddy bear sidekick.

"Nora is his Child, so of course they are close, and you have had a full day and needed a bath before your bedtime. I don't think you should worry about such things, sweetheart. Did you not tell me several times that he agreed you could ask him to marry you again when you turned eighteen?" Isabel dearly hoped that when the girl grew that she would be Godric's mate. If only there was some way to tell, but alas they would have to wait until she felt The Pull. Her Sheriff refused to believe she could be, and she reluctantly admitted that the likelihood was farfetched. Unfortunately it was similar to someone actually winning the human lottery.

She shook her thoughts away and smiled brightly at her charge. "Now lets get you in bed so the Sheriff can scare the monsters away and tuck you in!"

* * *

Alex shivered under the covers and clutched teddy closer. Mr. Sheriff Sir had scared the monsters away again and tucked them in, even though she had had to tell him how to do it. She sniffled and nuzzled into teddy's soft belly. She didn't want to be alone. Okay, so she was with her bear, but the odd pulling and fluttering feeling in her chest made her whimper.

Ms. Isabel had moved her to a different room, but….a single tear rolled down her cheek. Teddy didn't want to be here either, even though she had tried to hug him and make him feel better. He shivered next to her under the covers and she gently rubbed his ears. She wanted Mr. Sheriff Sir to be here, to hold her hand, and to make her feel safe. To take care of both of them so she didn't have to be super brave in such a suddenly big and really scary world.

She knew there was an Important Meeting going on downstairs, and that Ms. Isabel had told her she had to stay in her room. If she was bad the Time Out would be super long the next night! She shifted on the bed and looked down at teddy. Her poor bear looked terrified, and he didn't want to be alone either! She climbed out of the huge bed and went to the dresser where she had hid Mr. Sheriff Sir's jacket. Teddy grumbled at her that it wasn't nice to steal things that weren't hers!

"I didn't steal it, teddy! I only borroweds it!" she whispered to her disapproving bear. They stared at each other until teddy reluctantly agreed that if they only _borrowed _it then surely Mr. Sheriff Sir wouldn't mind if they wore it so they could feel better! She quickly grabbed it before teddy changed his mind, and scurried back to the bed and climbed back up. She and teddy pulled it around them, and she sighed as Mr. Sheriff Sir's scent made the tight ball of fear in her tummy go away. Her thumb slipped into her mouth and she happily sighed. She still wanted Mr. Sheriff Sir, but this was kinda okay too.

Slowly, her eyes slid shut, and she fell asleep.

* * *

Godric sat and impassively stared at the gathered vampires, his children behind him as his lieutenants flanked him. The two vampires in front of him were guilty of not following the nest's rules that only fully glamoured companions were allowed access. So close the Great Revelation, such sloppy behavior could not be tolerated. The two female humans who had helped the Weres enter the nest, destroy the sanctity of his home, and kidnap Alex had already been glamoured and sent on their way. He was sure that both spoiled and vindictive females would enjoy their sudden desire to join the Peace Corps to teach reading to children in jungle villages. Specifically, villages without any sort of modern plumbing. He smirked maliciously at the thought of their future discomfort and was amused when the watching vampires cringed.

His voice and gaze was arctic as he finally addressed the cowering vampires. "You know the rules of this nest, and the consequences of choosing to ignore them. For your ineptitude, you will be wrapped in silver and buried for six months. Let this be a lesson to all of you." He paused, and seemed oddly distracted for a moment as his gaze flicked upwards.

A child's terrified scream split the air and all the vampires froze, all except Godric who moved so fast that one minute he was downstairs, and the next he was in the upstairs bedroom. He was vaguely aware that Isabel ordered everyone to disperse even as she, and his children, followed him towards Alex's new bedroom.

Before her scream had even begun to fade, he had her untangled from her sheets and cradled in his arms. He should have known she would have…what did humans call them? Ah, yes, nightmares. He didn't remember what it was like to dream, but she had had a rather bad day and he should have considered that her sleep would not be easy.

"Mr. Sheriff Sir! Help!" she sobbed, and desperately twisted in his arms. "Please Godric! Don't let'em get me!"

Instinctively, a soft and gentle purr rumbled from his chest and immediately the flailing girl froze and pressed closer. He ignored Isabel's and his children's surprise, and concentrated on the upset child. He tenderly brushed her sweaty hair away from her forehead and marveled that she seemed to calm at his touch.

"Little one, it is but a dream. I am here, and you are safe." he whispered in the gentle soothing voice she seemed to respond best to. In an ancient language he whispered calming words to her as she began to settle. Her scent pulled at him, and her distress made him deeply uncomfortable. He wanted to find the Were that had taught her how to fear, and crush his bones until they were only powder within his body. For a moment he longed to return to the feral ways of his past, but he viciously stamped those emotions down.

"M-Mr. Sheriff Sir?" she asked, as her eyes struggled to open. "I-I had a bad dream. The mean men found me again, and you weren't here!" One shaking hand reached up to rest on his cheek, while the other made a tiny fist in his shirt. "You wouldn't leave me, would you?" she begged.

He could not lie to her, for eventually her family would return, and she would go on to live her life away from his nest. Away from his protection. The thought was oddly…disquieting. He settled her so she rested against his chest, and she burrowed into him. "As long as you are in my care, I will never willingly allow harm to come to you." he said finally, and his purr slightly deepened in response to her distressed scent.

Alex trembled, but the soft growl-y rumble, and Mr. Sheriff Sir's hand moving over her hair, made the last of her fear disappear. The weird pulling feeling in her chest was quiet too, and she sighed happily. She was safe. Mr. Sheriff Sir was here and wouldn't let the mean men get her, and she pressed closer to the comforting sound.

"You sound like a kitty," she mumbled, and sleepily rubbed her face against his chest. "My pretty kitty."

Nora giggled at the idea of her Maker as an innocent kitten chasing a ball of pink yarn in some flowery meadow. If anything, he was more like a panther; solitary, wary, and extremely dangerous once roused. The fact that he held the girl to him and purred surprised the hell out of her. Her Maker, while never cruel, had always been a very quiet, reserved, and private man and not one given towards emotional displays. He had only purred to her in the first days of her rebirth, and only when her terror at her new life had overcome her. Her brother had told her stories of how wild he had been when Eric had been a newborn, but that had been centuries before her own Turning.

Godric ignored his daughter's amusement. "Do you feel better now?" he asked Alex softly. For the first time he became aware that not only had she wrapped herself in his leather jacket, but that her sleeping garment was covered in small cartoon rabbits. He blinked, and cradled one small foot in his palm to get a closer look. He supposed such full body coverings helped keep young ones warm, but just why were the rabbits purple? And why did her feet have eyes and ears on them?

"Teddy is still scared and his tummy feels all bad," she said and weakly giggled when Mr. Sheriff Sir poked at the bunny ears on her footie pajamas. "Can…can we come with you? We don't want to stay here by ourselves. Please?" Her eyes begged up at him

He looked down at her, and ignored his son's whispered conversation with his daughter that he was 'whipped'. As there were no instruments of torture in this room, and he would be seriously displeased if there were, he was curious on what the phrase meant.

"Little firefly…" he trailed off and sighed at the expression on her face. "You must remain quiet as I attend to business. Is that understood?"

She nodded and nuzzled further into his neck. The trembling feeling in her chest felt even better, and she was starting to feel sleepy again. "I can be quiet like a bunny! Can teddy come too if he promises to be a good bear?"

His lips twitched and he easily balanced her with one arm as he reached for her toy. "Yes, he can come with us."

She gratefully cuddled her bear to her and snuggled back into Mr. Sheriff Sir. "Can we go vamp speed?" she asked gleefully. "It's like being on a ride! Vroom!"

She was still giggling when he stopped outside the office barely a second later. She looked excitedly down at teddy and then back up at Mr. Sheriff Sir. "You're gonna let us into _the office_?" she gasped. She frowned, suddenly worried. "Will Ms. Isabel let you? You wont get in trouble, will you?"

The following vampires snickered at the question and Godric's lips twitched. "I think just this once it will be acceptable, little one. Now remember, you must be good as I have much work to do." He turned to Isabel. "Enjoy the rest of your evening, Isabel, and thank you for your assistance this eve."

"Your welcome Sheriff. Alex, be good and I will see you tomorrow night." she said, and was gone.

Godric sighed and looked at his children. "I take it you will be joining us in the office? Do I need your promise to behave while I catch up on my work? The sun will be up shortly, perhaps you would enjoy finding donors for the evening?" he strongly hinted.

"Father!" Nora gasped theatrically. "I wouldn't think of leaving you alone so soon after I just arrived!" She linked arms with her equally mischievous brother, and sashayed into the office.

Godric mentally rolled his eyes and went to place Alex on the couch, but she only clung harder. "Little one?" he asked.

"Can…can we sit on your lap while you work? Me and teddy will be super good! It's just that…" she looked away.

"It's just what?" he asked softly, even as he changed direction to his desk. He justified his actions because she had had a rather hard day for a young human, and ignored the fact that he felt better having her within the close sphere of his protection. He steadfastly ignored his watching progeny, and briefly wondered if they might enjoy a nice Maker's Command. For their own good, of course.

"It's just that teddy is still scared and you make him feel better! He…he wants me to hold him too, so...um…so it means you have to snuggle with the both of us?" her words almost sounded like a question at the end, but she smiled when she realized that Mr. Sheriff Sir was going to let her stay with him.

Nora laughed and gracelessly plopped down on the couch next to her brother. There was nothing, bar the rising sun or a Maker's Command, that would move her from this spot! She and Eric stared at their father from the couch, and they cheerfully ignored the irritation he sent to them.

"You are very sweet with her," Nora teased too softly for human ears to hear, and watched as the girl curled further into his jacket and turned her face into his neck. The fact that he actually let her amazed Nora to no end. "It's cute how much she idolizes you. Who would have thought, father, that you would be _snuggling _a human child to soothe her fear of the dark! And purring like a 'kitty'!"

Godric flashed a quelling glance at his impish daughter, and carefully adjusted his charge so he could reach his paperwork. Perhaps if he ignored them his children would find something else to entertain themselves with. Preferably in some other part of the house.

"So, small human," Eric asked. "How do you like living here in the nest?"

Alex raised her head from where she had buried it in Mr. Sheriff Sir's neck, and turned to look at Mr. Eric with a cross frown. "Shh! I can't talk or Ms. Isabel will come and not let Mr. Sheriff Sir keep me here! Me and teddy have to be super duper quiet!"

Eric shared an amused glance with his sister. "Yes, we wouldn't want Isabel to tell Godric he can't keep you here! Would you like to come over here and sit with us so we can talk without disturbing him?" he asked the teacup human, and smirked when he saw his father's arm tighten around the small girl, even though he kept working on his stack of papers.

"No." Alex said, and cuddled deeper into the leather jacket. She absentmindedly patted Mr. Sheriff Sir's shoulder in case he was worried she would leave him, and smiled happily at the warm feeling that wrapped around her.

Nora snorted a laugh at her brothers surprised look at the rather blunt answer. "We will not harm you, and our Maker will still be in the same room with you," she coaxed.

"Nuh uh. Me and teddy like being here. Besides," she leaned towards them slightly. "This way Mr. Sheriff Sir doesn't get scared neither!"

Nora coughed to cover her giggles but decided to change the subject, understanding that Godric's patience with her teasing would only last for so long. Before she could say something, Alex's eyes widened and she squirmed down from her father's lap and walked over to her. Her red hair was halfway out of its braid and her 'borrowed' leather jacket hung to the floor on her short frame. The sleeves covered her hands that held her bear clenched to her chest and while Nora had no mothering instincts, in fact she never wanted to even be a Maker, she had to admit that the girl was rather cute for a breather. It also helped that she was a Fated Mate and didn't smell like food.

"Yes?" she asked, aware that both her brother and father watched them. If she didn't know better she would have thought her Maker was almost _sulking _at the fact that the girl had moved away from him.

Alex nervously shifted her feet, but teddy told her to be brave. She had to be! They liked Ms. Nora, but she needed to know that Mr. Sheriff Sir was _theirs_. Isabel had told her not to worry about it, but teddy agreed that they needed to do this!

"Um," she coughed, and wished her arms were long enough that the sleeves didn't cover her thumb. She worriedly glanced down at her bear, and tried to stand up as tall as she could like her daddy taught her to do when she was having a 'serious conversation'.

"Yes?" Nora prompted, amused as the girl tried to stretch herself as tall as her meager height allowed. Eric leaned forward next to her as they watched the small Fated Mate obviously try and look intimidating and serious. Although even with her hilariously scrunched up face she only looked worried and very nervous.

"Mr. Sheriff Sir is ours!" Alex blurted out before she continued in a hurried rush. "Mine and teddy's and we're gonna marry him when we're grow'd up and…and…and you can kiss my brother if you want, but you can't kiss my Mr. Sheriff Sir because he's _ours_. But…but kissing Bennett is fine. If you want to, I mean. He's nice and plays tea party with me so maybe he would play with you too if you asked him nicely." She swallowed nervously, but looked firmly up at Ms. Nora and nodded. "So…um…that's all we wanted to say, and me and teddy are now sa-tis-feed."

She gave a firm nod and turned away, but spun back to face the flabbergasted vampire. "And me and teddy think you have pretty hair!" She ran back to Mr. Sheriff Sir and crawled back into his lap and yawned sleepily, content in that she had fiercely staked their claim and Ms. Nora now knew they meant business! Teddy growled, and agreed that she now understood that they weren't to be messed with! They were super tough and scary! She cuddled into Mr. Sheriff Sir and her eyes grew heavy.

Eric struggled to contain his laughter, but his eyes twinkled as he looked at his bemused father. "It seems you have a rather dedicated admirer in her and her bear…the bear she named after you!" he softly teased so the exhausted child wouldn't hear. "This teacup human is hilarious! How long can we keep her? She _is _house broken, right?"

Godric looked down at the soft snore that came from his lap, and shifted the girl so she lay more easily against him. "Her family should be here to pick her up within the next few days."

"Father," Nora said hesitantly. "She obviously idolizes you, she will not take leaving you well."

He shook his head. "She is very young, and only clings to me because I 'saved her' from monsters and her own imagination. She will soon be reunited with her family, and will forget her time here. Mortal memory is fallible, and time will dull her fascination and erase her memory."

"Still," Eric murmured. "It would be interesting if you were truly her mate. You deserve such an honor, Godric."

"My son, you always hold me in too much favor. In no way would the gods think me worthy of such a gift, not with my past. She is a delightful child, but she does not belong here." Godric firmly stated, and told them through the bond that the discussion was closed. "The sun will rise soon and I must put Alex to bed upstairs. This is the last I wish to hear on the subject, is that understood?"

The two progeny nodded and watched as their Maker carefully carried the sleeping girl up the stairs.

"Eric?" Nora asked, worried about the oddly depressed feelings she briefly received from their Maker.

"I know," he replied. "I will speak to him tomorrow night."

* * *

Godric sat on his bench and stared into the pond as he contemplated the recent documents he received from the king, along with his argument with Eric. Things were speeding up as the vampire community prepared for The Great Revelation in the next decade, but there were still factions who were not in favor of the change. The king desired his council on how to deal with those vampires, and his thoughts weighed heavily on his mind. Would his kind ever be able to change enough to live harmoniously with humans? Then there was the fact that the king wished to meet Alex, something he was not too keen to allow.

The night was only made better by his son's insistent desire for him to not only feed off a live donor instead of from stored blood, but to also explain why he seemed so removed as of late. Frustrated with his Maker's refusal to talk, and the huge change from the bloodthirsty vampire he used to be, Eric had finally stormed out of the office. How could he explain the new thoughts and feelings he had to his son, his child who was still so young at only a thousand years, when he did not yet understand them himself? He suspected that he was no longer thinking like a vampire…but he was also not a human. So what did that make him?

He ignored the sounds of small feet racing through the garden, and wondered if she would understand his nonverbal desire for privacy. It perplexed him how she seemed impervious to his aura when others would be a trembling mess. She seemed to have the habit of turning up when he most wanted to be left alone to his thoughts, a pastime that was becoming much more common.

Godric glanced over as the girl came a breathless halt in front of him. To his surprise, instead of immediately bombarding him with questions she wordlessly climbed up on the bench next to him, and sat. He hadn't been aware that she was actually capable of being quiet and still. Frankly she was such a ball of happy energy that the change was rather surprising.

"Little one, I have much to ponder this night. Please go back inside where Isabel can attend you." Godric said firmly, before he turned his attention inward, certain he would be obeyed.

Alex slipped her thumb into her mouth and shook her head. She knew she was being bad by not doing what she was told but her chest _ached_. It had taken her forever to get away, and she and teddy were super proud that she was able to sneak away from Mr. Eric and Ms. Isabel! Her daddy would be so proud that she was able to escape from a Viking! She briefly wondered what, exactly, a Viking was but it had to be super cool since her brothers always seemed so jealous!

With a hopeful smile, she offered her teddy to Mr. Sheriff Sir, but frowned when he only gazed down into the pond, his eyes hard and very far away. She shared a worried glance with her bear, and wondered what they should do.

A sudden movement caught her eye, and she looked up in shock as a star streaked across the night sky. She clutched her teddy and bounced in her seat. This was how they could help their Mr. Sheriff Sir feel better!

She lurched to her feet, teddy held to her chest, and would have toppled off the bench if Mr. Sheriff Sir hadn't steadied her.

"Star light, star bright.

The first star I see tonight;

I wish I may, I wish I might,

To have the wish I wish tonight!"

Her voice rang out in the quiet garden and she clenched her eyes tight and made the biggest, the most important, wish she had ever made. She could tell teddy was wishing with her, and they put everything they had into it.

When they were done, she turned to look at their vampire. "Did it work?" she demanded, as she stared into perplexed grey eyes.

"Did what work?" he asked. The belief in wishing upon falling stars had been around when he had been mortal, but he could not remember a time when he had been innocent enough to believe in its power.

"Me and teddy's wish!" she said, and leaned down until her nose was a hairsbreadth away from his.

Godric was taken aback, and distantly amused, at how intent she looked. In fact, she was almost cross-eyed as she appeared to try and stare into his eyes from barely an inch away, searching for he knew not what.

"What did you wish for?" he finally asked, and gently moved her away to sit back down on the bench. What _did _human children desire these days? A new toy? Or some sort of animal companion? From her raptures at the petting zoo, and her previous nights rabbit covered garment, she seemed to be fond of them. Perhaps she wanted jewelry or clothing, something that in his experience most females tended to enjoy.

"Me and teddy wished as hard as we could for you to not be sad anymore. For you to be happy," she said simply.

He froze. "You…wished for me to be happy? Was there not anything else you wanted? Toys, perhaps?"

"Nope." She leaned her head against his arm and idly swung her legs back and forth. She giggled as the grass tickled her bare feet and she and teddy wondered if they could get Mr. Sheriff Sir to play hide-and-seek with them. Maybe they could hide so well Ms. Isabel wouldn't be able to find them for bedtime! Teddy wondered if Ms. Isabel made Mr. Sheriff Sir go to bed super early too.

"But…why?" he asked finally.

She looked at him blankly. "Because me and teddy love you, and don't want you to be sad. We super duper love you this much!" She slid to the ground with a soft thump and spread her arms as wide as she could to show how much she loved him. "We love you even more than that but me and teddy's arms aren't big enough to show you."

Godric stared at the small girl, and to his surprise, he found himself laughing as she danced around in front of him attempting to make her arms longer. "That's enough, little one. Calm yourself," he chuckled. He was touched by the child's words, but was ill prepared to deal with her blatant hero worship as such a thing had never happened to him before. He had dealt with plenty of sycophancy over the years because of his age and political standing, but outside of his bloodline, such words had always smelled of lies. The fact that the little girl would honestly waste a wish on his happiness was extraordinarily kind.

His smile softened, she would one day make some worthy vampire a very lovely mate. The thought was oddly…unsatisfying…but he shoved the feeling away. Vampires did not let their emotions control them.

"Teddy, it worked!" she shouted excitedly, and scrambled up to sit on the bench. "See, you feel alls better now, right? You're laughing and smiling! You should smile more, it makes you even more a hottie."

Godric almost choked on his laughter at her words. "Thank you for the wish, little firefly. I do find myself feeling better. How has your evening been?"

She giggled and hugged her bear, proud that she could help Mr. Sheriff Sir. "We had pancakes today, and Mrs. Rosie cried all over us, but teddy gave her a hug and she felt better. She even made us chocolate cupcakes too and didn't make us eat the nasty vegetables at dinner! Then teddy and I played horsie, and then everyone woke up, and I had to sneak away from Mr. Eric and Ms. Isabel to come find you!" She puffed her chest out proudly. "Daddy has been teaching me how to hide and sneak away, and I taught teddy!"

His lips twitched and he shot a glance over at the large windows of his nest just in time to see Isabel, Eric, and Nora sheepishly dart away. Although his daughter gave him a rather cheeky thumbs up before she left. Impudent brat!

"So your father has been teaching you how to hide?" he asked.

"Uh huh. He said first I have to learn how to hide and run away so good nobody can catch me. When I get bigger he said he would teach me how to fight and survive. I don't want to fight, but he said I have to learn it, although if I ever misbehaved with what he taught me he would give me the worst Time Out ever!" Her eyes widened at the thought and she and teddy shivered. They would have to stand in the corner forever and ever and ever! At least thirty minutes!

Godric nodded in approval. Such training would only help her in her life, especially since she would be amongst Supernaturals but without the benefits of their strength and speed. Not to mention how violent and unpredictable humans could be. A small hand slipped into his and tugged.

"Do you want to play hide-and-seek with me and teddy?" she asked shyly.

He thought about his work, and the phone call that he needed to have with the king, but for once decided to be spontaneous. It had nothing, of course, to do with the simple hope in her brown eyes. "Yes. What are the rules?"

Alex's eyes widened in shock. "Have you never ever played before?"

"Not as such, no." he replied in amusement at her scandalized tone.

"You count to a gazillion, me and teddy hide, and then you have to find us. Don't worry," she said, and patted his arm. "It's not hard, and if you can't find us don't feel bad! Daddy says I'm getting super good at hiding!"

He laughed softly at the serious look on her face. "Alright, little one. I shall count to fifty and then see if I can find you."

He counted and listened as she scampered away through the garden. He knew where she hid even without the benefit of his eyes, but decided to humor her. He wandered slowly, looking behind trees and shrubs as he ignored the giggles from the flowers nearby. He also staunchly ignored the snickers of his children from the house as they watched him play a silly children's game. He, however, preferred to think of it as him helping train Alex in survival skills…

"Aaaaieee!" Alex shrieked and rolled out of the flowers. "Get it off me! Get it off me!" she shouted and ran around in circles, teddy swinging by a single paw.

Godric vamp sped over and grabbed her. "What's wrong?" he demanded.

"A huge, hairy spider! It's got mean red eyes and is drooling and is _huge_! It's on my arm! Get it off it wants to eat me!"

He glanced down and saw a small garden spider no bigger than a pencil eraser crawling on her arm. He lightly brushed it away. "It's alright, Alex. It's gone now."

She nervously looked down at her arm and smiled when she saw that the nasty spider was gone. She bounced on her toes and giggled. "Thank you! I bet you couldn't find us before the mean spider tried to bite us! We hid super good in the flowers!" She smiled and slipped her hand into his. "Don't feel bad that you lost! I still think you're my favoritist vampire!" She briefly looked uncomfortable and looked around nervously. "Don't tell my daddy I said that though! I don't want to hurt his feelings and make him cry!"

Godric's lips quirked in a smile at the child's interpretation of events and the belief that her words would make her ancient vampire father cry. "Ah, yes. You did indeed do a wonderful job of hiding, little one." He watched with interest as she wandered back to the flowers.

"How come these are open at night? I thought flowers went to bed when the sun went away?" She stuck her nose in one and breathed deeply. "It smells good!" she said, surprised. "And it's so pretty! Plurple is my favorite color."

"The word is 'purple', Alex. These particular plants are called moonflowers, as they bloom primarily at night. The perfect flower for a vampire's garden." He watched as she gently touched one of the petals, and reached over and snapped a single open bud off the plant and tucked it behind her ear. "There, a gift to remember the night you escaped both a fierce warrior Viking, and won at a game of hide-and-seek with a vampire Sheriff."

"Father," Nora said and strolled into the garden. She grinned at the sight of her Maker on his knees next to Alex who looked at him as if he had hung the moon. The purple flower in her hair made her internally laugh knowing her father had no idea that with this one simple action the little girl's crush increase ten-fold! Seriously, her maker was extraordinarily wise, but he really was occasionally rather naïve in the most amusing of ways!

"Yes, child?" Godric asked.

"The king is on the phone for you and says it is urgent."

He sighed, and rose to his feet. "I am sorry, Alex, but I must return to work. Nora, please see that she is taken care of in the nest until Isabel comes for her."

Nora winked at Alex. "Oh, I'm sure us girls will find something fun to do while we wait. Alex, how do you feel about some new nail polish while I tell you exciting stories about your Mr. Sheriff Sir and my bone-headed brother Eric?"

Alex's eyes widened and she scampered quickly over to Ms. Nora. "Are there any stories where Mr. Sheriff Sir rides a white horse? Or fights monsters? Did I tell you about the time he fought off _nine hundred_ monsters? He was so awesome! Better than even Batman! Can teddy get nail polish? He likes to feel pretty too!"

Godric grimaced and moved quickly towards the nest. Obviously he would need to finish the call with the king as quickly as possible. Otherwise his mischievous daughter would have Alex believing he was so powerful, or perhaps even old enough given the fact that the girl thought he had ridden dinosaurs, to have even hung the moon in the night sky!

He picked up the phone. "Greetings, my king. How may I help you?"

"Sheriff, so good of you to have finally answered the phone. I have decided to see the Fated Mate tomorrow night. Given her age, I will come to your nest so as to not unduly upset the child, and we will be there two hours after midnight."


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who reads and/or reviews! In the past I've tried to respond to them all, but unless it's a direct question I now have to chose on what to spend my time doing, and I figure everyone would rather prefer an update! I _do_ appreciate them though, so thank you very much! **

**The usual disclaimer goes here. **

* * *

**Chapter 7**

Godric quietly walked downtown Dallas, lost in his thoughts even as he ignored the humans who were doing what he had heard termed a 'bar crawl'. The libations that he could already smell from some of them made his lips curl in disgust. Not only did it pollute the blood, but the reek of it as it seeped through human pores and mixed with the hot Texas humidity was…unpleasant.

Sometimes he really cursed his heightened senses, especially as the diet of humans had changed.

He ignored the catcalls towards him from drunken females, and some males, lost in his thoughts. It was rare for him to leave the nest so early in the evening, but he needed to clear his head before the king arrived.

He felt…off kilter. Not bad, but something was different and he could not put his finger on what. Normally he would reflect and meditate upon the subtle shift he sensed within himself, but Alex seemed to have developed a sixth sense for when he was, as Isabel called it, 'brooding' by the pond.

His lips curled in a slight smile as he thought of his energetic house guest and all the 'adventures' she seemed to stumble across. He enjoyed having her live in his nest, and Isabel had done a wonderful job taking care of her. He passed a bookseller and paused as he saw one of the posters in the window and almost laughed out loud as he studied the ridiculous picture. Spontaneously he entered the building and within a very short time was on his way back to his nest, bag in hand. It had been years since he had bought anyone a gift, and he hoped that she liked it.

* * *

"Mr. Sheriff Sir! You're back! We missed you!"

Godric looked up and caught the small girl as she slid across the marble entryway. "Little one, how many times must we remind you to walk and not run?"

She beamed up at him and he saw that Isabel had outdone herself with the child's appearance. She was the very picture of a proper young lady with her red hair pulled up and curled, clad in a pretty dark purple dress trimmed in lace. Her white stockings and black shoes only completed the look of a proper little lady.

Frankly he didn't give the outfit more than half-an-hour before it fell victim to one of Alex's shenanigans.

"I like going fast, and it's so much more fun to run! Me and teddy missed you! Did you fight any monsters? Was there a dragon? Did you find anybody bad that you had to put in Time Out?"

He smiled when she grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the den. "C'mon Mr. Sheriff Sir! Mr. Eric and Ms. Nora are in the living room, and we're watching a movie that's super good!"

Godric allowed her to tug him after her and almost laughed when he saw the pained look on his son's face. "What film are you watching?"

"'The Labyrinth'! It's about a Goblin King and a girl who wishes away her brother and then has to go into a maze to the castle to find him. It's so cool!" she gushed.

She tugged his hand and he obligingly knelt next to her as she whispered into his ear. "Don't tell teddy, but I tried to wish him away so that I could go play with the goblins but nothing happened. Do you think the Goblin King is scared of him? Teddy can be super tough! That's why I named him after you!"

He ignored Eric's muffled snickers and his eyes were drawn to the television where a man in makeup, presumably this so-called 'Goblin King', was singing and dancing around in overly tight breeches. His eyes narrowed as the peacock frolicked about rather inappropriately with what appeared to be puppets. Surely this could not be suitable for someone of Alex's age and imagination? Besides, before goblins had been hunted to extinction around 1430 AD they had looked nothing like they were depicted in the film. Nor were the cunning beasts anywhere near as stupidly harmless as these ones appeared to be.

"Isn't Jareth awesome? He can do magic!" Alex gushed, her eyes glued to the television screen.

Godric firmly ignored his surprising bolt of jealousy, which made him feel rather ridiculous especially since his daughter's knowing smirk made him aware of the fact that his bonds to his children were open. He could practically see the teasing words forming on her lips, and quickly decided on a distraction.

"Little one, I have something for you." He almost smiled when her head whipped around to face him, and he motioned for his son to turn off the offending tripe masquerading as film. It was hardly educational anyway he told himself, and easily overlooked his son's knowing smirk.

Alex's eyes were wide and she clutched her bear to her chest. "You bought me a present? Just for me?"

He smiled and handed her the small bag. "Yes, I saw a poster of it on my walk through the city and thought you would enjoy it."

"You seem surprised, Alex. Does your family not buy you gifts?" Nora asked, curious at the girl's rather extreme surprise. Her adopted vampire family was wealthy, and she had assumed that the girl had been showered with gifts as was common for most children in the current era.

Alex shook her head so hard her curls bounced. "Only on my birthday. Oh! And Christmas, even though my brothers had to convince daddy about that. He says it's not a real holiday so my brothers can only give me one gift each. Daddy says he doesn't want me to grow up to be a 'spoiled B-T-I-C-H'." She pouted. "Daddy wouldn't tell me what that spelled, only that it was a no-no word and not for 'impr-ess-ion-able children'."

Godric ignored his sputtering progeny, and handed her the bag. "Yes, well, your father is very wise. I find that today's youth are given everything while working for nothing. As for this particular gift, how about we just say it is for your last birthday.

Alex giggled, and shyly took the bag. Teddy was super curious and wanted her to open it fast so he could see too! She gasped, and excitedly yanked the book out of the bag. "Wow! Super wow! Teddy! Look what Mr. Sheriff Sir bought us! Look!" She danced around in place and showed her book to her bear. "Mr. Eric! Ms. Nora! Look, look, look!"

She raced to them and thrust her new book in their faces. Nora bit her lip to keep from laughing at the cartoon cover, and the overly pleased emotions she could feel from her father.

"Look Mr. Eric it's a vampire bunny! And he's drinking from yucky vegetables!" she said and ran back to her still kneeling vampire. She flung her arms around him and kissed his cheek. "Thank you so much! What does the title say? Will you read it to us tonight when you tuck me and teddy in? Can you read it using different voices like Josiah does?"

Godric smiled and gently patted her back. "The story is called 'Bunnicula' and I will read it to you later, but for now you must be a good girl while we deal with business. Later tonight there is an important vampire who wants to meet you, so you must be on your best behavior."

She sulked but reluctantly nodded. "If I'm super good can we go watch the fireflies tonight by our pond?"

His lips twitched, amused that apparently his pond was now 'our pond'. "Yes, little one, but only if you behave and stay out of trouble.

* * *

Godric watched his king glance around his office. It was the first time he had ever been there, and it was obvious he was curious about the artifacts and books on the shelves that were antiques from around the world. Part of him still found it amusing that a basic item that he had bought, or stolen, from a marketplace hundreds of years ago was now considered a priceless artifact.

"So how, exactly, did you come into possession of a Fated Mate?" King Niccolo finally asked as he studied the pink glitter all over the carpet. He never would have expected his boring Sheriff to be the type for glitter, but perhaps old age was making him senile? For the gods's sake the ancient wore the equivalent of pajamas to meet with his _king_!

Godric really wished to roll his eyes, but unless he felt the sudden need to become even more bogged down in senseless paperwork he had to tolerate the five century old vampire cliché. Seriously, even _he _knew that humans would look twice at a man who dressed in a tuxedo and top hat. He could feel his children's distaste within their bonds and sent them a warning. Thankfully Isabel who stood to his left was more even tempered!

"I am not in 'possession' of her, I am her temporary guardian while her family is dealing with another issue. I owed her father, a vampire of approximately fifteen hundred years, a favor and this is my repayment. I will admit my nest, particularly my own children, have grown rather fond of the child."

Godric's voice was pleasant, but the warning was clear to the others in the room. The girl was guarded by vampires old enough to rip the king apart and it would be best, for the king's continued health and well-being, for him to tread carefully. Very carefully.

King Niccolo nodded that the message had been received and leaned back. "Do not be alarmed, Sheriff. I am merely interested in making sure the child is safe in this environment. She is precious to our kind, and I find it worrying that she was abducted from this very nest. Will she be joining us soon? How old is she?"

Godric opened his mouth to respond, but the scampering footsteps that bounded down the hallway gave the king his answer.

"Mr. Sheriff Sir! Mr. Sheriff Sir!"

The expected thump of a small body hitting the heavy office door made Godric almost smile, even as he ignored his children's amusement, and the fact that the king and his guard's also seemed to be hiding smiles.

The door finally opened and instead of the clean and well-dressed little lady that Isabel had painstakingly prepared for the important meeting, a rather muddy and mischievous imp appeared in her place.

Godric's lips twitched as he looked the child over. Her once white stockings, and most of her dress and part of her face were covered in thick mud that smelled like it came from his pond. Her hair that had been so charmingly curled and pinned was now hanging down in wet strands and dripping dirty water onto his clean, if still sparkly, carpet.

"Mr. Sheriff Sir!" Alex squealed and skipped over to him leaving a trail of mud behind her. She giggled and held out a wiggling creature to him while her bear, who was still surprisingly free of mud, was held by one stuffed leg under her other arm. "Did you know you have _froggies _in your pond? Me and teddy caught one and it's a girl and we named her Ms. Hoppy! She's gonna be Mr. Sheriff Sir's girlfriend!"

He could practically feel his son barely manage to choke back laughter, and refused to look to see his daughter's response. It was unnecessary as the overwhelming glee in their bonds told him how they were taking the current conversation. The king, however, had no problem showing his amusement at his subordinates expense.

"You brought a frog to be Godric's girlfriend?" he asked merrily.

The girl turned and looked at him blankly. "No, Ms. Hoppy is my bear's girlfriend. See, we even put lipstick on her so that she would look all pretty!"

The eyes of all the vampires flashed back to the desperately squirming amphibian, and saw that it did indeed have red smeared across it's mouth.

"Where did you find lipstick?" Eric asked, and she smiled angelically up at him.

"Ms. Nora's purse," Alex promptly answered, and Godric felt his daughter's glee turn to horror.

"You used my Chanel lipstick on a _frog_?" Nora demanded.

Alex smiled and nodded. "Ms. Hoppy wanted to look as hottie as you!"

The king snorted and leaned back, delighted with the entire situation. Never would he have thought his very orderly, and staid, Sheriff would have his home upended by such a Fated Mate! He magnanimously decided then and there to leave the child with his Sheriff. Besides, the floors of his nest were made of rather expensive Italian tiles from the 14th century and he did not want mud tracked in his home! Or worse, pink glitter. He remembered the seventies and how the stuff got _everywhere_.

Godric kept his face expressionless, perfectly aware of his king's rather obvious thoughts, even as he internally smirked that he had been right on the fate of Alex's outfit. He ignored his daughter's emotions that were caught between indignation that her purse had been gone through, and flattery that Alex thought she was pretty enough to emulate.

Even if it was for a _male_ frog.

Isabel finally found her voice. "Alexandra, you know better than to use things that are not yours! How did you manage to get so dirty in the ten minutes I left you with the maid?"

Alex froze and looked up at Ms. Isabel. "Um…Ms. Laura got called to help with something in the den and then teddy saw the moonflowers in the garden and wanted to sniff them, and then we saw the pond and the froggies and…and…I'm not that dirty…" her voice trailed off and she patted her mangled dress and the vampires watched as a glob of mud fell to the floor with a squelch. "Oops."

She looked around and when she saw that everyone was staring at her, including the new vampire with the weird hat, and she nervously moved closer to her Mr. Sheriff Sir. She relaxed when she felt the warm blanket feeling wrap around her, and she went to crawl up onto his lap."

"Alexandra, freeze! Do not move and get more of the Sheriff's carpet, or the Sheriff himself, dirty!" Isabel commanded. "How did you manage to do such damage to your appearance in only ten minutes?"

The little girl froze as her shoulders hunched forward, and her eyes filled with tears as she realized that she was in big trouble. She sniffled and looked behind her, shocked at the muddy footprints across the pretty carpet. She turned and looked with sad eyes up at her vampire.

"I'm sorry I gots your floor dirty," she whispered, and her eyes fell to the ground. "Me and teddy just wanted to show you Ms. Hoppy. We didn't mean to fall into the mud."

Godric ignored the other vampires and put two fingers under her chin to lift her desolate gaze from her ruined shoes. "It is only dirt, little one. However, I think your new friend wants to return to her home. I'm sure she misses her family, and you do not want her to be sad, do you? You also owe an apology to Nora."

Alex's eyes widened. "I didn't think she would have a mommy and daddy to miss her! Do you think they're mad at me too?" She looked up at Nora and swallowed. "I'm sorry I used your pretty lipstick. Can…can you show me how to put it on later? I wasn't very good at it on Ms. Hoppy but I want to look as hottie as you!"

Godric carefully took the croaking frog from the girl's hands and passed the animal to a reluctant Viking. "Eric will return her to her habitat and I am sure it will be fine, little one. If you are a good girl perhaps Nora will play with you later. Isabel," his quiet voice held a soft warning for his underling to calm herself. "Please take Alex upstairs to get cleaned up and then return with her here."

Isabel bowed, although she smiled as the office door closed and she heard the king ask about 'his sheriff's new job title of Mr. Sheriff Sir'. The fact that King Niccolo had a sense of humor surprised her.

Perhaps he wasn't such an unmitigated bastard after all.

* * *

Godric smiled at the overalls Isabel had dressed the now clean child in. "Alex, I would like to introduce you to King Niccolo of Texas."

Alex stared up at the king, and her eyes grew wide as she clutched her bear to her chest. She edged towards Godric, and only relaxed when she felt her back hit his leg and she wrapped her arm around his knee. Teddy growled at the strange vampire, and she rubbed his ears.

"Hi," she finally muttered and her thumb slipped into her mouth. Something about this vampire made her uncomfortable and she didn't like it. Plus, he looked really weird.

Godric looked down curiously at the clearly uncomfortable child as it was such a drastic change from her happy exuberance earlier. Her worry pulled at him, and he gently rested a hand on her hair.

King Niccolo frowned, as the Fated Mate clearly preferred his Sheriff to himself. Granted, she was just a child and perhaps she was just shy. He began to rethink his previously magnanimous plan to allow her to stay with the ancient. Obviously she needed exposure to a greater number of vampires if she preferred the boring and emotionless Gaul over him!

"So, Alex was it? How do you feel about coming to live in my nest?" he asked, and smiled.

Alex's eyes widened and she hid further behind Mr. Sheriff Sir. "N-no thank you. Me and teddy like it here."

King Niccolo rolled his eyes, and reminded himself that he had just as good a chance as any other vampire to be this girl's future mate and have the power of her blood at his disposal. Although he really did dislike red heads, but he supposed he could always have her dye her hair. "Yes, well, I'm sure you and your…bear…will enjoy my nest. Not many human girls get to say that they have lived with a king!"

Alex trembled and looked tearfully up at Mr. Sheriff Sir. "Y-you don't want me and teddy anymore?"

Godric ran a hand soothingly over her hair, even as he stared coldly at his foolish king. "The king is mistaken, little one, and you will not be going anywhere. Now I want you to go with Eric into the kitchen and have a snack while the king and I discuss things."

Suddenly Godric stilled, and he and Eric looked towards the office door as their more powerful senses heard who had just arrived at the nest.

A minute later Stan opened the office door. "Sheriff, you have visitors."

Godric nodded impassively. "Show them in as I think they would also be rather interested in the current topic of conversation."

"Godric," the king huffed. "I wouldn't think any guests to your nest would have a say in Alice's-"

He was rather rudely interrupted by a deep voice at the door. "My daughter's name, King Niccolo, is _Alex_ and since I am here to collect her I daresay your offer will no longer be needed."

"Daddy!" Alex squealed and raced towards her family. "Gabriel! Josiah! Bennett! You're back! I missed you! So did my teddy, even though he hasn't met you yet!"

Godric watched as his old friend reached down and scooped the giggling child up in his arms, and was surprised by the bolt of pain that shot through his chest at the actions. He shook the senseless emotions off and walked over to the four vampires.

"Theron of Greece, it has been a long time," he greeted.

* * *

The king had finally left, and Theron smiled at Godric. He had been turned older, probably sometime in his late-thirties and his blue eyes gleamed with amusement.. "I apologize for the delay in our return, and the trouble it has brought to you, old friend. Not that such a peacock would be much trouble but alas I know you have no desire to rule anything larger than your Area."

"Was your problem resolved?" Godric asked softly as to not alert Alex who was currently talking a mile-a-minute to her brothers. He winced when he heard her mention something about 'bimbo girls', and determinedly turned his attention back to Theron.

"Alas, while we have killed most of those who tracked us, several escaped before we could question them. Until we can discover the reason behind their actions, my bloodline and I are going to leave the country. Alex is too young to survive another attack like before, plus I wish her to experience different cultures."

Isabel frowned and glanced at her, even more than usual, blank faced Sheriff. "Could you not stay a few days to help Alex get used to the idea of leaving us? She has grown very attached in such a short time…" her voice trailed off when the Greek vampire shook his head.

"I am sorry my dear, but our plane is waiting, and we must leave shortly as we do not wish to travel in coffins considering Alex's youth. Unfortunately we will also need to cut all ties for the next several years until she is less vulnerable, or until we discover just who our enemies are. I do not wish them to find us using the human technology of tracking phone calls." He smiled once again at the Sheriff. "Thank you again, my friend, for watching over my daughter. She is much loved by my bloodline."

Godric only nodded, his eyes shuttered and remote, so it was Isabel who answered. "She is special to us as well."

* * *

Alex suddenly stopped telling her brothers about Ms. Hoppy, and turned to look at Mr. Sheriff Sir. Her brow furrowed and she ignored her brother's questions. Something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong and she held teddy closer to her chest.

Her daddy noticed her gaze, gestured her over and picked her up. "Alex, it is time to go. Say thank you to Godric and his nest for taking care of you."

Pain and panic set in and she almost strangled teddy her grip on his was so tight. He didn't want to leave either!

"No, no, no, no!" Alex shouted and struggled in her daddy's arms as he left the office and walked towards the front door. She was vaguely aware of the vampires in the den going angrily silent as they walked past the room, and saw Isabel and Stan quickly move towards them.

"Daddy, can't we stay and live with Mr. Sheriff Sir? I don't wanna leave! I want to stay here, and feed the ducks, and play hide-and-seek with Mr. Sheriff Sir, and draw him pictures, and…and…"

"Alex!" her daddy warned. "Calm yourself, you are not some wild animal! You must control your emotions little one, or your scent will pull every vampire in a two mile radius."

Alex stopped flailing, but her body shook with anguished sobs. Her chest felt all fluttery and painful, and her heart hurt. She didn't care about any silly old vampire in the nest, she wanted _her _vampire! She whimpered and clutched harder at her teddy, but her sobs only increased when she saw Mr. Sheriff Sir abruptly turn away and go back inside without even saying goodbye. She had thought she felt something brush over her cheek, but he had moved so very fast and now he was _gone_.

"Mr. Sheriff Sir!" she shouted, and it felt like her heart cracked. He had left her without saying goodbye! Without giving her or teddy a goodbye hug! Had they been so bad that he didn't like them anymore? He had promised that they would watch the fireflies out by their pond, and he would read to her!

She looked up when Mr. Eric and Ms. Nora came up to her and she looked at them as tears ran down her face. "He left," she whispered, and curled further into her daddy. She loved her daddy, but she wanted to hug Mr. Sheriff Sir and have him tell her everything would be okay, and for him to wrap the warm blanket feeling around her again.

"Little one…" Nora trailed off, unsure of what to say to ease the heartbreak in the little girl's eyes. She had warned her Maker that the child would not understand having to leave him. It had been obvious to everyone except Godric that the girl adored him.

She shot a worried glance at her brother, and then reached forward and gave Alex a hug. "It will be okay Alex. I promise," she said finally. The girl's scent was rife with pain, and she wanted to shake her Maker for his thoughtless actions towards her.

Alex sniffled and looked down at her bear and her lips trembled even more. Mr. Sheriff Sir, and probably Ms. Isabel and Mr. Stan too, were mad at her and didn't like her anymore. That had to be why Mr. Sheriff Sir wouldn't say goodbye to her! The fact that Mr. Sheriff Sir didn't like them made her chest feel painful and weird.

"He's mad at me and teddy," she mumbled and looked up at Mr. Eric. "We were super bad and he's mad at us."

Eric shifted, uncomfortable with the devastated look in the Fated Mate's eyes. He wanted to soothe the teacup human, and he awkwardly patted her on the head. "He's not mad at you, small human. He's just…busy." He growled when his sister elbowed him in the ribs.

"Not the best thing to say!" Nora snarled to low for the despondent girl to hear. "Alex he isn't mad at you, he just…" she paused and considered what lie she could tell the girl that she would believe. God, those heartbroken eyes of hers were horrible! She thought she had gotten rid of such soft emotions when she Turned!

"He had to go to the bathroom!" she blurted out, and winced at the incredulous looks the other vampires sent her.

Alex sniffled and wiped at her eyes. She smiled hopefully up at Ms. Nora. "He did? S-so he's gonna come back and give us a hug before we have to leave? Will he be a lot longer?"

She looked worriedly down at her very upset bear. Teddy really wanted a hug too, and they both stared intently at the door to the nest. Her eyes brightened with hope when it opened, and teddy told her that they _knew _Mr. Sheriff Sir wouldn't leave them without saying goodbye!

Eric felt pity as the girl's hopeful face shattered when it was only Isabel who appeared with a packed suitcase. Even the hug that the Spanish vampire gave the small human was not enough to change the look on Alex's face. In Freya's name the girl's pained scent was enough to drive even a thousand-year-old vampire protective instincts crazy, so it was a good thing that Isabel and Stan had cornered the younger vampires in the den before they could do something foolish.

Her daddy sighed, and Alex looked up at him. "Sweetheart we have to leave." He gently held her to him and ran a hand over her hair. He was surprised at how deeply Alex was attached to the Gaul. Frankly he was surprised as his friend was not one, in recent centuries, to become attached to anyone or anything. Emotive and emotionally open Godric was not, and the power he gave off without even trying was enough to keep most everyone away.

"But…but Mr. Sheriff Sir is gonna come back! If we leave first he'll think we didn't want to say goodbye to him!" Alex said. "Teddy wants to hug him too!"

One of her brothers growled, but not low enough to escape human ears. "Maker, we have to meet the plane soon if we hope to get to our destination before the rising sun. Obviously the Sheriff has other things to do, and this is only distressing Alex."

Alex's head whipped around and she looked up at Ms. Nora in betrayal. "Ms. Nora, you fibbed?" Her eyes filled with tears. "Mr. Sheriff Sir!" she shouted and again struggled in her daddy's arms.

Eric sighed. He _knew_ his Maker heard her cries, as their muffled bond seemed to throb before it closed down entirely. However, Eric had felt the bolt of pain that his ancient father experienced at the girl's heartbroken tone. His eyes met Theron's and he shook his head at the unspoken question.

The ancient's eyes were sad as he looked at his sobbing daughter. "Alex we must go so say goodbye to Nora and Eric."

Alex sniffled and looked up at Ms. Nora and Mr. Eric. "B-bye Ms. Nora and Mr. Eric. W-will you tell Mr. Sheriff Sir I'm sorry I was bad?"

Nora, to her embarrassment, felt her own eyes well with tears. "Be strong, little Alex. I am sure our paths will cross again."

Alex looked down at her bear and gently ran her fingers over his ears. She could tell teddy wanted to cry, but he agreed that while she had her daddy and brothers to look after her, Mr. Sheriff Sir was alone. With a wobbly chin she looked back up at Ms. Nora.

"Will you give teddy to Mr. Sheriff Sir for me?"

Nora carefully took the bear and looked down at the trembling child. "Are you sure Alex?"

"Yeah. Teddy says I have daddy and my brothers and Mr. Sheriff Sir needs him. Maybe…maybe Mr. Sheriff Sir is only mad at me and wont be angry with teddy? Will he let teddy hug him and take care of him?" she asked hopefully. "Teddy will make sure Mr. Sheriff Sir doesn't get sad!"

Nora sighed. "He's not mad at you Alex, but I will give him your bear and say goodbye for you."

She and her brother watched as the quietly crying girl was placed into the car seat and strapped in. As they drove away Nora turned and angrily raced towards her Maker's office. She shoved the door open, stepped in, and froze in surprise. Her Maker stood at his desk, a piece of paper almost reverently held in his hands as a single finger stroked over the childish drawing. Her anger drained away when she realized he was not indifferent to Alex's pain.

"Godric," her voice soft as she walked to her Maker. She heard her brother shut the office door, but her attention was firmly on her father. Their bond was closed and she wished, not for the first time, that she could read the emotions behind his impassive mask.

She turned when her brother placed his hand on her back and gently shook his head, his eyes fixed upon their father. Instead, she quietly walked over and placed the silly stuffed bear on the desk. "She wanted you to have him," she said simply, and she and her brother turned to leave Godric to his thoughts.

At the office door she glanced back and saw him pick up the small toy and place it, and the picture, in a bottom desk drawer.

* * *

She curled up in the car seat, even as the tears continued to slip down her cheeks. She missed him already, her Mr. Sheriff Sir, and now she didn't even have teddy to cuddle. She was so happy to see her daddy and brothers, but…..

The car quickly drove through the suburbs and suddenly she cried out and began to cry harder. The warm blanket feeling was now totally gone, and it felt like her chest had a big hole in it. She wanted her Mr. Sheriff Sir so bad!

"It will be okay, Alex." her daddy soothed. "Try and get some sleep little one. Change is hard, but in order to grow we must all go through it. I doubt this will be the last time you will cross paths with the Gaul and his nest."

She sniffled, convinced that Mr. Sheriff Sir, and probably Ms. Isabel and Mr. Stan, never wanted to see her ever ever again! Exhausted, she closed her eyes and began to fall asleep. She would give anything to be with Mr. Sheriff Sir at their pond as he read to her from her "Bunnicula" book.

"Theron," she heard her brother ask as if he were far away. "Is this amount of separation anxiety normal in human children?"

With a last sniffle, she fell asleep.

* * *

She opened her eyes and found herself once again in the dark forest. The trees still scared her, but she could feel the pull in her chest that guided her to _her _tree. She needed her tree, needed the painful agony in her chest to go away. She looked down and saw that she still had her trees acorn clutched in her hand. She raised it closer to her face and saw that small roots had grown out of it and were delicately wrapped around her fingers and wrist.

She looked up at the dark trees around her and shuddered. Her tree was so pretty and wonderful and she began to run where the feeling in her chest pulled her. The twisted trees on the path tried to grab at her as she dashed under their limbs and she stuck her tongue out at them even though she knew it wasn't very nice. She didn't want _them_, she wanted _her _tree!

The pain in her chest guided her and she cheered as she finally broke through the tree line and stopped, breathing hard with her toes just touching the edge of the shadow the big oak cast upon the ground. She saw that still no other trees dared to move close to it and her lip trembled when her tree seemed even sadder and more lonely than it did before.

"My tree! I missed you!" she shouted, and dashed forward and into the shadows of it's mighty limbs. Her poor tree looked so sad and lonely and upset and she ran up and threw her arms around it. She closed her eyes and breathed in it's scent and shuddered in relief. Finally the pain, the horrible aching pain and need and sorrow in her chest went away and she felt…whole.

"My tree. Mine." she whispered and nuzzled against its cold bark. A sudden flash of light made her eyes pop open, and she looked up and saw fireflies dancing in the air. A rustling noise made her look down, and she saw that the hollow at her tree's base was still there and was still the perfect size for her. Gratefully she curled up in it and giggled when the roots shifted to make her more comfortable.

"I was so sad, but I feel better now." she whispered, even as tears slipped down her cheeks only to be thirstily soaked up by the ground underneath her. The tree above her almost seemed to shiver, and she watched in awe as delicate vines began to grow and wrap around its base. They looked so small and frail when compared to her tree, but she grinned when buds appeared and a plurple…no, when a single _purple _moonflower bloomed.

"My favorite flower," she said in awe. "Mr. Sheriff Sir gave one to me when he still liked me..." she whispered sadly, and more tears fell to the ground. Distant warmth suddenly wrapped around her like a blanket and she gratefully snuggled closer to the roots. She was still so small in comparison to the tree so far above her, and she wondered if it knew she was there. If it loved her like she loved it, and had missed her while she was gone.

She began to talk to it, telling it of her adventures and her Mr. Sheriff Sir and how much her heart hurt even though she was glad to have her daddy and brothers back. How she missed her teddy, but was happy that he would take care of her Mr. Sheriff Sir while she was gone. The words spilled out of her, and she relaxed back into her hollow, sleepy and content. She just knew that her tree listened to her and wanted her to feel better!

"What are you doing back here?!" the shout made her jump, and she cringed away from the winged figure that appeared next to her. "Damn it child! You can't be here! I barely was able to get you away last time before they found out!"

"Go away! I don't wanna go! This is my tree! Mine! He's lonely and needs me and I don't wanna go!" she shouted and pushed further back into the roots that began to restlessly shift around her.

He grabbed at her, but froze when he saw the fireflies and the single, open moonflower. "These…these were not here last time. How did…how? This is impossible. Dear god above, this is impossible. You are only a child!" He looked down at her and saw the tear tracks on her face. "Did you cry?" he demanded and reached down and grabbed at her arms.

"Let me go! Daddy says I can't talk to strangers!" she said and tried to pull away.

"Child, answer me this. Did. You. Cry?"

She pouted and glared. "I'm a big girl! Big girls don't cry!"

He was incredulous. "Are you lying to me?" Seriously, the child still had tear tracks on her face and she thought she could lie? To him?!

She shook her head, but then guiltily nodded.

His lips quirked as he looked down at his charge. For the first time he noticed her fear and her pain, and his eyes softened as he knelt next to her. Something was different with her, and he wondered what he had missed while busy keeping the others from discovering this secret.

"Little one, I am sorry I yelled at you. Please do not fear me, as I am here to protect and guard you until you are of age."

"You want to take me from my tree," she stubbornly said. "You're mean! Even if you do have pretty wings!"

The man sighed and grabbed the bridge of his nose when he saw the roots shifting around the girl. "I am not trying to be cruel, but you cannot be with this tree. It is not time for you to be here and, frankly, I still find it impossible that you _are _here. The fact that _this _one is found worthy…" He sneered, but cringed as the air grew subtly darker. He could not remain much longer without being discovered by either his brethren or _him_.

"Please," she whimpered and her small fingers curled protectively around the acorn hidden in her hand. "I don't want to go."

"Child, you must. If others should find you here, at the base of this particular tree and see what you have started at such a young age you will be…" his voice trailed off and he looked down into suddenly fierce brown eyes.

"Will they hurt my tree?" she demanded. She stood, folded her arms across her chest and scowled. "I wont let them, and I'm super duper tough! No one can hurt my tree!"

He snorted at the very idea of his kind actually being able to hurt the one whose shadow he, rather uncomfortably, stood under. Well, he amended as he eyed the fragile child, many would view his mortal charge as the perfect vehicle for retribution and revenge for little could harm him more than the loss of his future mate.

"Such a stubborn child," he murmured. "Yet I fear you will need it, for the road you walk will not be an easy one."

Suddenly his head snapped to the right and his eyes narrowed as something flickered in the distance. Quickly he bent and picked her up, skillfully dodging the fireflies that started to dive bomb him.

"You must forget," he murmured, and raced from under the Oak's shadow. "This is nothing but a barely remembered dream. Forget," he ordered, and the hand he held to her forehead briefly glowed.

"No." she whispered, even as her eyes slipped closed.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who reads and/or reviews my story! Hopefully you like this new installment where you meet a somewhat older Alex, and the plot thickens! Thank you to both Midnat and Melusine10 for listening to my crazy plot ideas and helping me streamline my thoughts. Ya'll rock! As always, the usual non-ownership disclaimer, and on to Chapter 8!**

* * *

Chapter 8

**_Five years later_**

Alex jerked awake with a cry and curled around her side. Something hurt inside her, something hurt so bad that it felt like she had been stabbed with a hot poker.

"George?" she called out to her family's Dayman, before she remembered he would not join them until that night. Her dad had finally deemed her old enough to keep herself out of trouble. Or, in his words, 'To not blow anything up that couldn't later be glamoured away' for the few hours she would normally be awake before they rose.

She glanced at the clock next to her bed and groaned. It was only 9am, and her family would be in their day sleep in locked rooms. She gasped and curled up again, the pain so bad that she began to sweat despite the cool air.

She finally managed to crawl out of bed and stagger into the sunlit living room before another wave of agony brought her to her knees. She wiped at her eyes and really wished that an adult was there to help her. She couldn't call for help because humans would want to know about her family, and she didn't trust them in the nest anyway. What would happen if somehow they managed, no matter how small the possibility, of getting into the locked light-tight rooms? No. She wasn't a child anymore! She would figure something out…

She saw her dad's phone on the table, and thanked whatever deity was listening that he once again forgot to take it into his room. The pain was so bad that she wanted to throw up, but she managed to grab the phone with a shaking hand. Nausea welled and she bent over and was sick all over the floor.

"Dad!" she choked out, but knew that even if he woke he would not be able to get to her in the sunlight filled room. "You can do this, Alex. You're not a little kid anymore!" she muttered to herself. With trembling fingers, she called George, and finally panicked when it went straight to voicemail. She was alone, she felt like she was dying, and she didn't know what to do! She needed help! She wanted…she wanted…

She stifled a sob at the memory of soft grey eyes, a calm voice, and a gentle purr that kept the monsters away. Even though it had been practically _forever_,she still missed him, and it still hurt that he hadn't care about her in return. That he hadn't contacted her ever since she had left the nest. Her dad had said it was for her safety, but she stubbornly thought that something could have been done if he had actually wanted to talk to her. She would have been happy with even a postcard…

She almost jackknifed forward as the pain bloomed hotter than ever, and her fingers tightened on the phone. Her breathing was loud and ragged in the quiet room, but the beep caught her attention. The phone was still open to the Contacts List. What were the chances that her dad would have his number? With her heart in her throat, she scrolled down the alphabet.

_Godric._

The name flashed on the screen and she hesitated. Would he help her? Another spasm made her cry out, but she tried to remember the time difference between Texas and Italy, and she gnawed on her lip when she realized that he would still be awake. But…should she call him? Would he even remember her, or want to help her if he did? Her mind was unsure, but her heart said 'yes'.

The pain that seemed to grow each moment made her decision, and she desperately hit the call button and listened as the phone began to ring.

"Please…" she whispered, and waited to see if anyone would pick up.

_Please…please don't hate me._

* * *

Isabel was just finishing up her report to the Sheriff, when she paused.

"Yes, Isabel?" Godric asked quietly, his eyes never leaving his paperwork.

"Sheriff…Godric. I'm worried about you. You seem more withdrawn than usual. Please, is there nothing I can do to help you?" she asked as she stared worriedly at his paler than normal face. In truth, he had grown steadily more withdrawn over the last five years. He never even went out to the pond anymore! Ever since Alex had left, he seemed...odd. Isabel knew he kept the bear and drawing in his desk, and wondered if he even bothered to look at them anymore. He never mentioned the little girl, and she sometimes wondered if she had mistaken his care for her.

"I am fine Isabel, there is no reason to be concerned. You are dismissed," he answered distantly.

Isabel sighed but turned to walk away when the desk phone rang. Seeing as Godric was currently reading the King's quarterly report, she moved back towards the desk.

"Yes?"

Only silence and static answered her. "Is anybody there?" She swore she could hear gasping breaths on the other end. "Listen, if this is a prank call then-"

"M-Ms. Isabel?"

The stuttered, pain filled words stopped her cold. "Alex?" she whispered, vaguely aware that her Sheriff's head had snapped up so quickly that if he had been a human he would have had whiplash. "Are you okay?"

Sobs filled the silence and she saw Godric grip the desk, his eyes fixed attentively on her. It startled her as it was more emotion than she had seen in him in the last five years. It made even her, who had known the Sheriff for centuries, uncomfortable to have so much of his attention focused solely on her.

Barely a second later the desk groaned and the pieces under his hands disintegrated into sawdust. She instinctively froze, the ancient predator in front of her making her hold very, very still. Distantly she supposed that answered her question on whether or not he had cared for the little Fated Mate. It was only the sobbing voice over the phone that broke the feeling of rising power in the room, and regained Isabel's attention.

"N-no, I'm not okay. Ms. Isabel, it hurts so bad! Please, I know you don't like me anymore, and you're m-mad at me but it hurts so bad and I can't get in touch with our Dayman and my dad and brothers are asleep and I'm scared. Please, it _hurts_!"

Isabel cleared her throat, and shifted further away from her watching Sheriff, as if the couple of extra inches would somehow lessen his focus. "Alex, where does it hurt? Where are you?" If her family were still asleep, that meant they had to be on the other side of the globe. She held the phone out to Godric, but he resolutely shook his head, and she mentally rolled her eyes at his stubbornness. Men!

Alex's sobs made the words almost unrecognizable. "My side. It feels like somebody stabbed me, and I'm throwing up and it hurts so bad. Please, Ms. Isabel, make it stop!"

"Where are you?" she coaxed, now extremely worried. Humans were so fragile and the littlest thing could harm them! "We can't send you help unless you tell us where you are."

"Florence, Italy. D-Dad wants me to work on my Italian. He s-says I have a-" she broke off, and the sound of retching took over before she finally managed to continue. "He says I have an odd accent."

Godric was already on the other phone, and Isabel heard him demand to speak with Dr. Ludwig.

"Ms. Isabel?"

The whispered words caught her attention. "Yes, little one?"

"Is…is Mr. Sheriff S…I-I mean, is the Sheriff still mad at me? Does he still hate me?" Alex whispered in a cracked voice.

Isabel saw Godric freeze, and the expression on his normally implacable face made her cringe. He looked like…how did the humans put it? Oh, like he had been kicked in the chest by a mule. Gods above, she was drowning in the power he was giving off, and she wondered if every vampire in his Area could feel his shock and anger.

One minute she was holding the phone, and the next it had been snatched from her, and another was in its place. She could hear Dr. Ludwig's voice yelling, and she raised the new phone up to her ear even as she shamelessly eavesdropped on her Sheriff.

"Little one, I am here." The gentle tone in his voice was one that hadn't been heard in the last five years.

"Mr.…I mean, um, Sheriff Godric?" came the rough and tearful whisper.

"Godric, little one," he corrected when the idea of her using his title revolted him. "You may call me Godric. Now, where exactly in Florence are you?" he coaxed.

"Um….I don't know. In one of the hotels here. Daddy said he owns the penthouse. The hotel is on a hill overlooking the city."

"Is there a large sword over the fireplace in the living room?"

She hesitated for a moment. "Yeah, there is."

Godric breathed a sigh of relief as he had been to this particular nest before and remembered its location. After giving directions to Isabel he turned his attention back to Alex. Her pain filled whimpers made him grip the phone so tightly that the plastic began to buckle. A soft purr rumbled from his chest in response to her pain, pain that seemed to hurt him as much as it did her. He felt helpless, a feeling he was in no way accustomed to, and wished that he could be there to soothe her in person.

"Mr…I-I mean Godric. Are…are you still mad at me? Do you still hate me? Why did you never call me?" she asked tearfully. "I'm sorry that I was so bad, and that I ruined your carpet and…and…got dirty when I was supposed to meet the king and…and...that I bothered you all the time by our, I mean, your pond. I'm sorry that I made you take me to the fair and…and I'm sorry for whatever I did that made you not like me anymore…"

It felt like a bolt through his chest, and his purr stuttered to a halt. He could easily remembered her tearful cries for him five years ago, barely the blink of an eye to a vampire of his age, yet the time had seemed to pass at a glacial pace. He mentally swore, realizing that she had thought for years that he hated her over behavior that had made him, for a short time, feel something other than extreme boredom.

She panicked when he stopped the soothing growl-y noise that rumbled down into her bones, and took her mind off her pain. "Please don't hate me anymore, Mr. Sheriff Sir! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I've missed you so much. Please!" she miserably begged as more tears welled, and something in her chest ached and throbbed.

"Little firefly," his voice was whisper soft and brought to mind the warmth and safety she had always felt around him. "My apologizes, young one. I did not realize you had labored under such a belief all these years. I am not, nor was I ever, angry with you. There are other reasons that our separation occurred as it did, and reasons of safety in why contact was not allowed. I have…missed…you as well, little one."

"You did? You're not angry?" she sniffled and curled herself into a small ball. The pain was burning through her side, but she had missed her vampire so much as something in her chest bloomed at the knowledge that he would have called her if he could.

"Then why did you not say goodbye? Did you keep my bear? 'Bunnicula' is still my favorite book. Daddy taught me to read English using it. I just wish..." her words trailed off and she cringed as further agony ripped through her side.

He closed his eyes as her rambling words reached his old and battered heart. His words had not been empty platitudes, he realized, he truly had missed her. Had missed her enough that he had tried his hardest not to think of the bright-eyed child who had brought life into his nest. Who had, in her simple way, tried to keep him from despairing over his past crimes.

He pushed his guilt away as he shot a questioning glance at Isabel, and relaxed at her nod that Dr. Ludwig was on her way. "What do you wish, little Alex?"

"I wish you could have read it to me," Alex said, before she suddenly cried out and a loud thud sounded over the phone.

"Alex!" Godric snapped out, panicked. The emotion was strong enough that he felt his progenies' alarm, but he ignored them and also Isabel's shocked stare at his blatant emotion. He was tense as he heard the little human scramble about and finally answer.

"S-sorry. I dropped the phone. Godric…I don't feel good..." her voice began to fade off at the end.

"Alexandra!" Godric said sternly. "Help is coming, and you will stay on the phone with me. Is that understood?" He winced at the sound of her getting sick in the background. His voice softened, and again took on that gentle tone. "Little one?"

"I-I'm here Mr. Sheriff S….um, Godric."

Before he could reassure her further, he heard a popping sound through the phone.

"Who are you?!" the child weakly demanded.

"Alex, is Dr. Ludwig there?" Godric asked, and ignored Isabel's worried look as they heard Ludwig demand the phone.

"Yes, vampire, I am here. I will call you when I know what's wrong with her."

_Click._

Godric worriedly stared at the phone in his hand. Stunned, he glanced up at his lieutenant. "She thought I was angry with her. That I hated her. If anything, I thought she would have already forgotten the few weeks she spent here."

Isabel stared at her Sheriff like he was insane. "At five-years-old that girl adored you even _before_ you rescued her from her kidnappers. No female, regardless of their age, is going to forget being saved like that! She thought you were better than the human superhero Batman, which your housekeeper assured me was a very big deal to a child. She even named that silly bear she carried everywhere after you, and left it so that you would have 'someone to look after you'! She would light up if you so much as just walked into the room…and you thought she would forget you?" Isabel allowed herself to roll her eyes. Godric was a very intelligent vampire, and a leader she was proud to follow, but he really was clueless sometimes.

She turned to walk away, and paused. "Perhaps you should think of ways to make it up to her now that you know where she is. I've heard that sick humans enjoy flowers." With what could only be called a flounce, Isabel turned on her heel, and stalked out.

Godric sat for a moment, before he raised the phone and dialed for an international operator. Somewhere in Florence there would be a florist who carried purple moonflowers, and he was determined to find them before he went to his day rest.

* * *

Alex struggled to open her eyes. Her head felt all weird and floaty like it wasn't connected to her body, and her side felt oddly tight.

"Girlie, wake up," a rough voice snapped.

"Wha-?" she struggled to say as her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth. "Why are there flying kangaroos on the ceiling?" she asked blearily.

"Damn morphine! You humans are so delicate," the voice grumbled. "Wake up and take a sip of water. Your appendix burst three days ago before I got you on the operating table, and you've been one sick girl. Your family has stayed with you at night, but they obviously can't be here during the day. Your Dayman stepped out for a moment but should be back soon."

Alex giggled as the words appeared in the air and looked like balloons as they swirled about. With effort, she managed to turn her head and saw a little old woman that looked vaguely familiar.

Dr. Ludwig sighed at the girl's blank look, and took her vitals. She was recovering well and would be fine…a fact that seemed to escape the increasingly pesky Gaul. Seriously, how many times a day would that vampire call to check on the girl? While serious, the child had already been in the operating room when her appendix ruptured, and it was hardly life threatening. Yet if it wasn't the Texas Sheriff calling for updates, then it was his Dayman making sure that the girl did not need anything while the Gaul was at rest.

She frowned, and made a note on the chart at the girl's slightly faster than normal healing. Also, why in the god's names did that vampire keep sending her moonflowers every day? Granted they died after they bloomed each night, but couldn't he send something less irritating to constantly dispose of? This was a hospital, not a florist shop! Overall she was a very grumpy doctor, as teleporting across the world was hardly relaxing! Dealing with the girl's panicked father and brothers had also been a 'treat'.

Doctor Ludwig rolled her eyes when her phone buzzed, and without looking shoved it at the dazed girl. "Here, you deal with him. He's been annoying my nurses and myself for the last three days so now it's your turn." She turned to leave, and grumbled, "Never would have thought Death to go so soft."

"Who?" Alex asked as the doctor stormed out. A splash of color caught her attention and she turned her head. Moonflowers! A giant vase of them stood on the table next to her bed, their buds currently closed, but she saw several purple petals on the table from last night's blooming.

"Oooh, they're so pretty!" she said, before she remembered the funny little doctor had left. The buzzing in her hand made her jump and look down at the phone. When did that get there? With fumbling fingers she answered.

"Um…hello?"

"…little Alex?"

The accented voice broke through the fog in her mind, and the constant ache in her chest trembled and finally relaxed. She knew that voice…Ugh! why was it so hard to concentrate? She vaguely remembered calling for help…

Oh, look! Pretty flowers! She looked down when her fingers rubbed against a soft leather blanket, and grinned. Someone had brought her favorite jacket! Tears came to her eyes and she sniffled as her smile faded. It was the grey leather jacket that Mr. Sheriff Sir had wrapped around her when he rescued her from the monsters. Ms. Isabel had snuck it into her suitcase when she had left the nest, and she had wrapped it around her each day as she slept. Her dad had even made sure her idiot brothers couldn't tease her about it! She frowned, and shook her head. Wasn't there something about Mr. Sheriff Sir…?

"Alex!"

She jumped, and looked back down at the phone as the world swirled prettily around her bed. When did she get a phone? Had she always had a phone? Was there someone on the other end?

"Yes?" she finally remembered to ask. Who would be on the phone for her?

The gentle voice now sounded worried. "Little firefly, are you well?"

It was Mr. Sheriff Sir! No, she remembered now. _Godric_. He was Godric. He was her Godric, and he wasn't mad at her anymore!

"Godric!" she laughed. "Did you send me flowers? Our flowers? They're so pretty!"

He relaxed, the stress from the last three days finally easing. He had glamoured one of the humans in the nest to explain what a " ruptured appendix" was, and he had been very worried. Especially when the grumpy doctor started refusing to take his calls. He could tell by Alex's slurred words and forgetfulness that she was still rather heavily drugged but she was _alive_.

"Yes I did. I heard that it was traditional for sick humans to receive such gifts."

"They're purple moonflowers! I still have the one you gave me. Gabriel showed me how to press it in a book so it would dry all pretty. I've missed you, have you missed me? Did you know that there are flying kangaroos on my ceiling?" she babbled happily.

Godric relaxed back in his desk chair as a faint smile curved his lips. Her ramblings reminded him of the seventies. "Flying kangaroos?" he teased, and ignored his progenies' sudden interest through their bonds to see why he was in such a relaxed and happy mood. For three days they had been hounding him, and he irritably swatted them away. "That is odd as I have traveled the entire world more times than I care to remember, yet have never seen one." He experienced a flicker of playful mischief he had not felt in decades. "Does it have wings, or does it spin it's tail around like a helicopter?"

Scandalized, Alex scoffed. "Of course it has wings! I wish I could fly. Do you like flying? Bennett told me that you can fly and I think I remember you flying with me." She stopped and fiddled with his jacket that had originally been his. During the first months she had cried into it every night, and it had brought her much comfort over the years. It had soothed the ache she felt in her chest, the one that sometimes made her feel like the world would never feel right again.

"Are…are you sure you're not mad at me?" she finally whispered.

"No, child, I am not. I too have felt…unhappy…at not being able to contact you over the last few years." He was unused to admitting such emotions, and thought of something to distract her. "How old are you now?"

Alex grinned and wiggled her toes through the soft, sparkly cloud that was sitting on them. She wondered what it would be like to fly through a thundercloud. "I'm ten! My birthday is coming up soon, and Dad is already saying something about making sure that no boy starts 'getting funny ideas'. Godric, what did he mean?" she asked, and frowned at a kangaroo that was making funny faces at her. How rude!

She continued before he could get in a word edgewise. "Why would he care about there being boys? My brothers are boys and he doesn't mind them. You're a boy too, and I like you! I'm so excited to be in Florence! Dad has had us living in the middle of nowhere for practically _forever_!" she giggled. "It was fun learning how to survive in the wild and learning about all sorts of school-type things, but I didn't like the martial arts that much. Vampires have an unfair advantage, and I never win!" she pouted, and suddenly yawned. She was so sleepy, but she didn't want to get off the phone with her vampire. She had missed him so much!

Godric's eyes narrowed as an odd emotion went through him. She was far too young for anybody to be looking at her that way! Not for the first time he was thankful that she had not only a father, but three much older brothers who would make sure to keep the riff-raff away from her. Besides, he justified to himself, she would just be hurt if she made any attachment to another before she felt the pull to her mate.

"Your father is right, little one. You should concentrate on your studies, there will be time for such…things…later. When you're older. Much, much, much older."

Alex giggled sleepily and stared happily at her flowers as her eyes grew heavy. Godric was so funny!

"Little one?" her vampire's voice whispered over the phone.

"Hmm?"

He felt almost…nervous, and again ignored his progenies' inquiries over the blocked bond. He also ignored the second phone ringing, knowing that it was probably his son. "Would you like me to read you a story?"

She smiled, and snuggled down in the bed. Her body felt so floaty and she could barely feel any pain. She buried her nose in his jacket, and smiled. She really was too old to be read to, but this was _Godric _offering! "Sure."

Godric opened the bottom drawer of his desk and lifted out his recent purchase. He would never admit to anyone, could barely admit it to himself, but he _may_ have snuck out of his own nest two nights ago to buy the very book in his hands. It had taken four bookstores before he had found the same edition that he had bought her five years ago. Isabel, he knew, would be insufferable if she found out, and would gladly tell his nosy children. He scowled as he thought of the teasing _that _would incur. He glanced down at the small bear and the faded picture that kept it company in the drawer, and cleared his throat.

"'Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery' by James Howe. Chapter One…"

Two hours later he closed the book and smiled as he heard Alex's soft breathing. He glanced at the steel shuttered windows and carefully wiped away the blood that had fallen in a steady stream from his ears and nose as the sun rose higher in the sky. He had lost a fair amount, and would probably need a live feeding later, which disgusted him, but it had been worth it. Even if the little imp had giggled and teased him at his attempt at 'using the funny voices'.

He locked the surprisingly humorous book into the bottom drawer that he had long ago mentally designated as 'hers', and left to go to his rest. The odd feeling in his chest was, for the first time in years, quiet.

* * *

The dark haired woman ghosted through the hospital, invisible to mortal eyes. With a negligent wave of her hands, her magic forced the two guards to fall into a deep sleep.

With easy steps, she entered into the room and stared down at the small girl huddled under a worn leather jacket. She was smaller, and much younger, than she had thought, but she hardened her heart. The child's future mate had killed most of her kind during the vampire-fairy war, and she had been horrified when she realized that the monster that was responsible for so much pain would be granted the honor, love, and power of a Fated Mate. Obviously the gods must have gone insane!

A sudden psychic boom split the air as a man, wings outstretched, crouched in front of the child.

"Amaryanda! What are you doing?" he demanded. He had felt the danger to his charge, and it had been strong enough to rip him away from his current task.

"What am I doing?!" she snapped, gold eyes flashing. "What are you doing? How can you guard her?! She is to be mated to _him!_"

He frowned, but refused to move out of his protective stance. "Have you fallen so far into hatred that you would kill a child for something she cannot control? That you second guess the very gods decision on who is to receive a mate? Things happen for a reason, Amarya!"

The woman looked away and blinked tear-filled eyes. "He hunted us almost to extinction! It is because of him, of his leadership during the war, that we were forced to leave this world for another! Even his own bloodthirsty people fear him! How can he be worthy of a mate, and of any form of happiness, when he has been the ruin of so many?"

"It is not our decision," he replied calmly. "She was given into my care, and I will guard her until she comes of age…even if it is from my own people!"

She was appalled, and could barely believe what she was hearing. "Would you seriously give your charge into his keeping? A monster that will ruin her? One that is incapable of love, mercy, or tenderness? You should have handed her over when you realized whose she was!" she spat, even as shame filled her at her words. She was supposed to protect the innocent, to protect Fated Mates, but how could she when she knew who this one was destined for? It was asking to much! She would at least give the girl a painless death, which was more than any other of their kind would do. It was not fair, but life itself was unfair.

He shook his head, eyes pained. "Sister," he pleaded. "I too was horrified when I discovered who her mate was to be, but I've watched them both over the last few years. He is not the monster that he was eighteen hundred years ago."

"I don't care!" she shrieked. "He deserves to suffer, as we have suffered for centuries at the loss of our loved ones. Of our home! How dare the gods decide that he deserves redemption! That he deserves happiness and peace!"

"This is not our way!" he snarled, and prepared himself to fight his own kind to protect his ward. The anger in his sibling sickened him, and proved that he had chosen correctly five years ago. "You cannot question which commands you follow, and which you will ignore! If you do this, you will lose everything! You ask how I can help her, even knowing whose she is. Sister, if you ever loved me, trust me now…and _look _at her!"

She stopped, faced the small child, opened her magical sight…and jerked back in shock. "Impossible! How…how…?" she stammered.

"I don't know," he admitted, and looked down in fond exasperation at his frustrating ward. Cautiously he began to relax as his sister's anger lessened. "Something happened when they met, something that caused them to exchange a small part of their souls and start a bond that should still be impossible for eight more years. I have yet to figure out how it happened, and trust me when I tell you that I have thought much on the subject! Do you have any idea how difficult it was to block her soul from continually reaching out to his in the months after she left? I was exhausted! Their current bond shouldn't exist, but it does. You can see it between them, stretched and gossamer thin, yet it is still impossibly there, and so must be protected."

"I can cut it and kill it in it's infancy, before either of them feel the effects. He will never know her then, as I doubt the bond would ever be able to reestablish itself. She would live, so technically your duty would be done. Happy?" Amarya asked.

"No! She may live, but they are already bound much closer than I think you understand, and I doubt she would ever recover. More likely she would eventually die of the breaking, and he would follow, unaware of the true reason behind his overwhelming depression. Such bonds are sacred, and must not be touched by outside interference! You know this, you were taught this just as I was so long ago," he snapped, and forgot to enforce the spell to keep his charge unaware.

"What…what's going on? Why are you yellin'?" a sleepy voice yawned.

Amarya froze and watched as the little girl blinked dazed eyes and smiled a gap-toothed grin. She waited for the girl to scream about their wings, but instead she just blinked.

"Are you here to fly with the kangaroos? Did Godric send you to take me for a ride?" the child asked.

Amarya relaxed as she realized the girl was heavily medicated. The Fated Mate was cute enough, she reluctantly decided, and rather surprisingly normal looking. She would have at least expected her to have horns or some other stereotypical 'evil' trait to show her inner malevolent nature. Instead dark red hair and big brown eyes gave her the appearance of innocence, even though she was the soulmate of _him_. She was pale, but with bright red cheeks that showed her ill health, and Amarya struggled to tamp down her instinctive concern. She was not this child's Guardian, thank the gods, and her well-being had little to do with her.

She jumped when the phone the girl clutched in her hand rang. To her horror she realized the softly accented voice on the other end was that of her people's most reviled enemy. She glared at her brother, and rolled her eyes when he pointedly nodded at the child. With their superior hearing not unlike that of a vampire, the conversation was easily overheard.

"Godric!" Alex said happily, and giggled.

"Hello, little firefly." he replied gently. "Are the kangaroos still whirling about your room?"

She smiled and curled up under his jacket, her hand against her aching side. "Yep, and there are pretty people with wings too who came to play with them!"

For a moment Godric was concerned, as the only beings with wings he knew about were not ones he would want around Alex. However, her giggles and words about 'tap dancing flamingos' made him relax. Obviously whatever pharmaceuticals she was on were only feeding her already vivid imagination.

"Calm yourself, little Alex," he murmured as he eyed the time. Daybreak would be soon, and while he would gladly resist the sun's pull, it was getting harder to do with each passing day. Already he had fed more in the last four days since she fell ill than in the last five years combined. While live feedings sickened him and increased the guilt he felt, he needed the strength of fresh blood to continually resist dying for the day.

"Read me more of our story, Godric? Please?" she begged him, and his lips curved up in a slight smile as he opened the bottom drawer of his desk. At least he did not have to worry about his children bothering him, as they had already contacted Isabel to discover the reasons behind his improved mood.

Amarya listened in astonishment as the Gaul, one of the most feared vampires in the world, read a children's book. Not only that, but he willingly used what the girl referred to as 'funny voices' for each character.

She turned and glared. "What is going on? Is Death actually reading a children's book? About a _vampire rabbit _that sucks the juice from vegetables?" she whispered harshly to her silent companion, who only shrugged.

"It's their 'thing'. Every afternoon that she's been here he calls and reads to her from this one book until she falls asleep. He's been resisting the sun for hours every day to do it, too."

"But…why?" she stammered. Even with fresh blood, the weakness that the vampire would experience after days of such behavior would take weeks to fully overcome.

He shook his head. "Look at her, Amarya. Look at their bond, as small and frail as it is."

Again she looked, and what she saw made her mouth drop open. "Is he…is he sending her strength?" she demanded. "From _Texas_?" The bond that had been so transparent and quiet before, now gently pulsed with warm power.

He nodded. "Yes, although it is not a conscious decision on his part. Or on hers. What she is getting may be barely a trickle, but it is enough to have already started to speed her healing."

Amarya continually opened and closed her mouth as words tried to form. Everything she had believed in, everything that she had told herself to justify killing a Fated Mate had just been shattered. When she had discovered that the girl was the future mate of Death, she had not been sure what to think. Her mind had spun with horrified ideas. Perhaps the girl was as evil and twisted as the Gaul? The child would have had to be, she assumed, for her soul to match his! Or perhaps Death had stumbled across the Fated Mate, miraculously recognized her as his, and had decided to twist the girl to fit his undoubtedly nefarious plots. In either case, the girl was lost to evil, and it would be better for the world if she was ended before her mate would gain the power of her blood. Better for her to die rather than the world be cursed with two such horrors!

She was not sure what she had expected, but it had not been this young and innocent child devoid of evil. Instead, the little mate was oh-so-gently wrapped in that impossible bond that did not reek of darkness and hatred, but instead glowed with protective care. For some odd reason it started in her hand and flowed up her arm to her torso, but it _was _there. Yet even more shocking was the fact that the famed monster of her people, the boogeyman that children were told would eat them if they did not behave, was willingly defying the sun to indulge a sick child. Was weakening himself to send her strength. It was…astonishing.

Her attention was brought back as the girl, Alex, fell asleep to the remarkably gentle words that finally murmured a soft goodbye before the call ended.

"Not what you were expecting, was it?" her companion mocked. "Now you know how I felt five years ago!"

"I…" she stared, conflicted, and finally her shoulders slumped.

Before she could say anything, the door slammed open and three snarling Weres burst in. With instinct that had been honed over centuries, the two angels twisted, and attacked in unison.

Amarya felt her brother cast a spell to keep the child asleep as the last thing they needed was for her to panic. She grinned as her brother neatly decapitated two of the intruders with his sword, he had always been flashy, and turned her attention to her own opponent. She rolled her eyes when he barely put up a fight worthy of her abilities, and easily dodged the sloppy punch. Instead of a defenseless child, they had discovered enemies that even vampires were hesitant to fight!

Amarya beat her wings as she gained height, and held her captive up by his throat, sneering as he snapped and snarled and dangled helplessly in the air. She ignored the small gnomish doctor that stood in the doorway and ruthlessly shook the man like a rag doll.

"Why are you here?" she demanded, and made eye contact. Magic swelled as she forced him to tell the truth. Unlike a vampire's glamour, he could try to lie, but the results would be…unpleasant.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" he snarled, and then screamed as it felt like every nerve in his body exploded. He lasted barely a minute, she noted with disgust, before he turned on everything he held 'dear' and started squealing like a pig. "The little bitch needs to die. An eye for an eye!" he growled.

Amarya growled, her protective instincts roused. "What did she ever do to you?"

"Her?" he laughed, and spat blood out through his broken teeth. "Nothing. It's her fanger father! He killed the daughter of some high up vampire centuries ago, and now that vampire demands his daughter in return."

"Why are you helping him?" her brother asked from his protective crouch in front of the Fated Mate. Seriously, how many enemies did his charge have? It was enough to give an immortal angel grey hair!

The Were shrieked again as he tried to lie, before he finally broke down. "Our pack is heavily indebted to several bloodsuckers in Canada. He has paid us half the amount we need to gain our freedom, and the other half upon her death." The wolf laughed, and more blood bubbled up through torn lips. "Who would have thought a fanger would give a damn if a human died? Take into account _what _she is, and her death under his care would ruin him both personally and politically."

"Why Weres?" Amarya asked curiously.

The Were weakly rolled his eyes. "Obviously the vampire needed to hire someone else to do the job for him, since her very scent acts as such a strong deterrent to any other corpses. Not to mention what killing a Fated Mates would mean if he was ever discovered! Every vampire would turn against him, and he would be hunted into eternity."

Amarya's eyes narrowed, and her brother growled, but to her surprise it was the doctor who spoke.

"How did you find the girl? It's been five years since you last attacked. You must know she is under the protection of The Council until she comes of age to Search."

The man sneered, even as his eyes started to glaze over. "What has your precious Council ever done for us? Nothing! It was easy to trace the call once she contacted the Gaul. We knew him to be close friends with her father, so we only h-had," he began to gasp, and his voice grew weaker, "had to…to be…patient…" With a last gurgle, he went slack.

Amarya disgustedly dropped the body and looked over at her smirking brother. "What?"

"You protected her. When it came down to it, you protected _his_ future mate!"

She huffed and spun away. "It was instinct and training! They surprised me! Don't take this to mean that I give a damn what happens to her. I will stay my hand, brother, and keep silent…but you know others will eventually notice and come for her."

Doctor Ludwig's eyes narrowed at the two siblings. As part of The Council, she knew how angels were given a Fated Mate to protect…but apparently this one's mate was already known. Something that she had thought was impossible. The male politely coughed to get her attention.

"What?" she snapped.

His golden eyes, so similar to the woman's, remained steady on hers. "You need to inform her family that they must break off all contact with anyone they can be linked to until they either defeat their enemy or she has reached the age to find her mate. I can only protect her from so much considering I'm having to also block her from my own kind. I will only be able to appear at the most dire of circumstances, and she _must _make it to adulthood."

Doctor Ludwig nodded and glanced around at the ruined room. "Sunset will occur soon, and I will inform her family that they must leave the city tonight. Now, make yourself useful and move her to a clean room."

* * *

Godric carefully placed the phone back on its cradle, and stared at the book laying on his desk. It was hard to admit, but the past few days he had looked forward to his talks with Alex. They were a bright spot in an otherwise boring night of continuous paperwork as he listened to her ramble on in her drugged stupor. He had enjoyed making her laugh and smile, even if he really needed to brush up on current human culture to better understand some of the things she said. What, exactly, was a 'boy-band'? The connotation was of course obvious, but he was unsure if she should be exposed to such things at her age… He shook the pointless thoughts off, and felt despair once again threaten to overtake him as he mulled over the recent call.

Doctor Ludwig had answered the call, and he knew immediately that something had happened. When she outlined how, and why, the attack had occurred he had felt his dead heart drop that Alex had been so close to being killed. He agreed that there could be no further contact between the girl and himself until they either dispatched the enemy, or she was grown…by which time she would have already mated and would no longer care to know an old and tired Sheriff from her childhood. No matter what Isabel believed to be true.

He stared at the wood grain on his desk as his thoughts wandered, and he made a mental note to have his nests and resting places regularly swept for monitoring devices. Perhaps he should hire someone who better understood current technology to help 'bring him up-to-date'. He would also put out feelers and call in favors to try and discover just which vampire was behind the Were attacks.

Against his will, his thoughts swung back to where he wished they would not wander, and he closed his eyes. Would she even understand why he could no longer talk to her? Would she once again believe that he did not care? That thought made him frown, and with a vicious twist of power, he clamped his bonds closed. At the moment he could tolerate no emotions besides his own.

His heart strangely heavy, he placed the book back into its drawer and locked it safely away. With a resigned sigh, he turned to his stack of paperwork and once again allowed the stress and obligations of his work to consume him. The Great Revelation was on the horizon…perhaps this was for the best so that he could give his full attention to making sure everything ran smoothly.

The ache in his chest meant nothing, he told himself, and forcibly ignored it…just as he did the contents of his locked desk drawer.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: If you saw an update for the story, but no chapter came up it was because there was a problem with the edits in the Doc Manager and I took the chapter down to fix it. Trust me, it was extremely frustrating for me too! As for the delay in updating, my job gets really hectic at the holidays. On the other hand, you now have a 18,000+ word chapter to peruse and hopefully enjoy. A special thanks goes out to Midnat, Melusine10 and Kittyinaz for being awesome with the plot bouncing and with occassionally talking me off the edge of insanity.

As always, I own only my imagination which does not include True Blood or (and I sob at this) Godric.

**Makhaira- Greek word for an ancient sword. Also related to the word that means 'battle' or 'to fight'.**

* * *

**Chapter 9**

_Three years later..._

"I don't want to go!" Alex snapped, and turned away to look out the window. She huddled in Godric's too-large grey leather jacket, but at the moment it brought her little comfort. It was just so unfair that they had to move just when she was so close to being done!

"Why do we have to move _again_?" she grumbled. She knew her family hated it when she acted like a human teenager, but she felt like the current situation justified it.

"Child," her father sighed while his dark, old eyes looked at her sternly from his desk. "You know why we must go. It is not safe to stay in any one place for long while we are as yet unaware of the identity of our foes. Not to mention the risk of people realizing we are never changing. You know this, have accepted it in the past, so why are you now discontent?"

She scowled down at her purple ballet flats and let her long red hair hide her expression. She couldn't tell him the real reason, and she struggled to come up with an excuse he would believe.

"I just really like this city," she finally muttered. "It's … nice."

Josiah snorted from his spot on the couch, his fingers rapidly flipping through a book. "Weren't you just complaining to me three nights ago that you hated Rio de Janeiro, little sister?"

She frowned at her brother's pale reflection in the window, and once again wondered why her dad couldn't have Turned at least _one_ girl. Being the youngest with three older know-it-all brothers _sucked_. "I like the art class you made me take," she said, and mentally cringed. She shouldn't have mentioned the art class … what if they discovered her plan? She had somehow managed to hide her actions over the past year from her old-as-dirt family, and to fail within days of completing her Top Secret Mission made the hole that was constantly in her chest ache.

Being sneaky looked so much easier in the movies.

"Yeah, how's that coming?" Bennett asked as he vamp sped from one of the bedrooms, perfectly dressed for a night on the town, his shoulder length black hair in a neat ponytail. He had always been the trendiest of all her brothers, and the one most likely to have a new companion on his arm every night. "Any luck with learning to get along with little humans?"

She groaned, slumped against the floor to ceiling window of their penthouse living room, and buried her nose in the collar of her jacket. "No."

She wished she was still young enough that a hug and a peanut butter cookie could make everything better. She loved her family, but it was so hard being the only human in a family of vampires.

"Daughter," her dad said. "I know its hard, but you must learn how to blend in with other humans."

She felt hounded and even more stressed. "I know, okay?!" she snapped, unable to tell her dad her secret fear that something was wrong that only other humans could sense.

"Mind your attitude, child," her dad softly commanded. When he used that tone even her oldest brother leapt to obey.

"Sorry," she sighed, and wrapped her arms around herself. When everything had changed she had even asked their Dayman, George, if she smelled weird to humans, and he had laughed and said no. When she was little everything had been fine, but as soon as she hit puberty things had changed seemingly overnight. Most girls seemed okay, but even boys who had been her friend now shied away from her as if something made them uncomfortable.

During a ballroom dance class she had taken in St. Petersburg, one boy had finally blurted out that being around her made his skin crawl. She had been so embarrassed that she had hidden in the bathroom until George had come to get her. Thankfully whatever was wrong with her didn't seem to bother either George or his husband Brian, since they were the ones who took care of her during the day. She had never told her family, since she was sure her brothers would unmercifully tease her. Maybe if she had been able to still talk to Godric she would have told him since she knew he would understand, and wouldn't make fun of her.

At least vampires didn't seem to mind her, she would be heartbroken if her vampire couldn't stand to be around her. The very idea of it made something in her chest _ache._

Reflected movement in the window caught her attention, and she turned towards Josiah, whose arms were held open in invitation. Gratefully, she hurried over and crawled onto his lap. Ever since Dallas he had been the one she had gone to the most for comfort. She curled up against him and breathed in his scent that reminded her at least a little of _him_. Both smelled of falling leaves, although _he _smelled of autumn nights under towering oak trees curled up next to a crackling fire. Hot, soothing, and a light in the darkness that promised protection and comfort.

Josiah ran his hand over her red hair. He had a suspicion why she so often turned to him for comfort, but saw little need to tell his siblings. Although, he sometimes wondered if his Maker knew since very little escaped the Ancient. His little sister had never really been the same since Dallas, and he felt helpless to ease the pain of growing up. He had the vague suspicion that she was keeping something from them, but nobody could be more obstinate than his little sister. She would tell them when she was ready. "Don't cry, Alex."

"I'm not crying," she whispered, and clenched her eyes shut to keep the tears from falling. She_ refused_ to cry. Tears hadn't helped three years ago when her dad told her that it was too dangerous for her to talk with her vampire again. She shuddered, and curled further into her favorite brother. Even the memory of that time hurt.

"I'm sure it will get better," Josiah said, and was glad that she was still young enough to let him hold her. "Humans always fear what is different. Perhaps we can stay longer in our next nest, and you will have more opportunities to make friends. To learn how to be human."

She frowned and twisted to sit on the couch so that she was cuddled against his side. "Why don't they have The Code of Behavior like Supernaturals do?" she complained for probably the three billionth time. "It would make all this so much easier. Humans don't make any sense!"

Gabriel sighed from his place slouched in front of the tv, bored. He was the oldest of her brothers and had the shortest temper when dealing with what he called her 'human foolishness'. "We've already told you why. Humans, while perfectly capable of killing each other in inventive ways, lack the instincts that drive them to instinctually fight each other. Without these Codes we would have all killed each other long ago, or been discovered. Humans are stupid and oblivious, but not _that_ stupid."

She scowled at her most irritating brother, but before she could say something, her dad interrupted.

"Enough."

The command rang through the room and while Alex wanted to grumble she also really didn't want to run extra laps tomorrow during training.

Her mind frantically tried to come up with a plan, but she tried to relax and control her speeding pulse. "When do we leave?" She was almost done, and it had taken her nearly a year of questionable shuffling through her father's papers to find the address she needed.

"Unfortunately, we must wait after the ball tomorrow eve as to not attend would be a grave offense to the King."

"Halloween," she muttered. She had two days, and with a little luck she could get it done tonight, and then mail it tomorrow. This was perfect since by the time he got her gift, they would already have left Rio. If those crazy Werewolves were still looking for them by sifting through the piles of mail she was sure the Dallas nest received, they would find an empty return address. She was so pleased with herself that she almost grinned, but managed to keep her smug congratulations to herself.

Her dad shook his head and tsked. "Samhain has gone by many names daughter, but the current incarnation of one where children dress up and demand candy is a desecration of what was once a sacred and noble event. It is still a time when magic, and many Supernaturals, tend to run wild so it is best for young girls such as yourself to remain safely indoors."

Alex hid her face against Josiah's side and rolled her eyes. She was a teenager now, which meant she was an adult and could take care of herself. Well, sort of an adult. She frowned, deep in thought. Okay, she was at least more of an adult than a silly kid. It just wasn't fair that even if she lived to be a hundred she would still be considered a child in her family's eyes.

She had begged for years and years to go with them to the parties her nest seemed to always be invited to. Every time her dad had said no, that she had to stay home until she knew The Code for dealing each race. Without those ritual ways of addressing each other, tempers would flare out of control and there would be another war like the Five Century War that her dad and Gabriel had both fought in.

She sighed, and moved away from her brother to slump against the arm of the couch. If she thought her dad would understand the symbolism she would tape yards of bubble wrap around her body, since he seemed intent on never letting her have any fun. Or even acknowledging that she wasn't a baby anymore. Her glance met Gabriel's suspicious one from the next couch, and she realized that her response was not at all usual for the moody teenager her father said she was becoming.

She quickly put on her best pout. "Dad, can I go to the party? Please? I'm not a kid anymore, and I've almost finished memorizing The Codes. I haven't made a mistake in practice for weeks now." She made sure to put just the correct amount of whine in her words to irritate even his centuries old calm. He hated that tone, and it was practically a one-way ticket to a night of boredom in their hotel suite.

Bingo! She felt like doing a victory dance when she saw her dad grimace. Who knew that sensitive vampire ears hated that tone of voice? Learning that little fact had practically been a goldmine of getting out of boring learning experiences that her dad felt she needed. Most of the time, anyway. It sure was really hard to fool a vampire, other human kids had it so easy!

Theron sighed, and wished his daughter would hurry up and grow into the wonderful adult woman he was sure she was capable of becoming, even if it meant losing her to her vampire Mate. Some days being the father of a teenage girl was worse than Turning and raising all of his male progeny. He snorted at the thought. The gods only knew how much trouble his children, along with the Gaul's Viking, had managed to get into over the centuries. He was frankly surprised Morocco had ever recovered.

"Daughter, such places are not for those of your tender years, and this is not the sort of ball you should frequent until you are much older. As for your practice, you still have much to learn before I will allow you to deal with those outside of my closest circle of acquaintances." Theron smiled softly at his disappointed human child, who was so determined to grow up and experience the world around her. It seemed just yesterday she was a toddler racing after her brothers on unsteady legs, and the idea of sending his fragile, mortal baby girl into the lion's den of Supernatural politics was less than pleasing.

"The real world is a harsh and unforgiving place, and you are no longer young enough for ignorance to be overlooked. You are not yet ready to deal with the different races, child, and I will not endanger you just to slake your boredom. You will spend tomorrow night studying your human school subjects in our nest, and after we return we will begin the journey to our new domicile in Finland where we will continue with your Supernatural lessons and training."

She sulked, even as she internally cheered that she would be left alone while her family was otherwise occupied. She guiltily ignored her brother Josiah's eyes and hoped that they would leave soon so she could slip out.

She snuck a look at the clock and winced. If they didn't leave soon there would be no way she would make it to the art center before it closed. She sat down at the table and attempted to look studious and very intent on her homework. Which, considering geometry was currently her arch nemesis, was difficult. Why did she actually need to know how to find the area of a square? Stupid math …

* * *

It took almost the full hour before they left to pursue their own entertainments, and since George and Brian were otherwise occupied getting ready for their household's move, she would be alone for much of the night. Her dad had finally started to trust her to be alone for short periods in the nest several months ago, but she ignored the small flutterings of guilt in her stomach. Gleefully, she waited until they had reached their cars before she dashed for the elevator.

"C'mon, c'mon, hurry up," she chanted, and bounced from one foot to the other. Finally it arrived, and with a huff she entered the elevator and pressed for the basement. Her dad would be even angrier if he knew she was utilizing her training to escape the castle fortress, a.k.a. their posh apartment penthouse, but if she left through the front entryway he would be notified immediately. Ever since her first little escape attempt when she was eleven he had made sure to glamour all the staff to be foot soldiers in his war of making sure she never had _any _fun.

She grinned and gave a thumbs up to her reflection in the shiny elevator door as she hummed the _Mission: Impossible _theme song. She felt daring and adventurous, just like her favorite comic book heroes. She practiced a quick punch and kick combo, struck a heroic pose, and smirked. Yeah, she could definitely take care of herself!

She sauntered out into the basement and stealthily moved towards the kitchens. Thankfully, she had overheard one of the waiters at the downstairs restaurant yesterday complain about the broken alarm at the service entrance, and she grinned when she saw the warning sign on the door.

With silent steps she dashed towards the door and out into the chilly night air. Several blocks away she stopped and nervously hailed a taxi for the first time on her very own. The Art Center was several miles away, and she just had to get there before they closed for the night! Her chest throbbed, and she rubbed it as she scrambled into the car, and barely glanced up as she gave directions to the golden eyed driver. Her dad had told her to be patient, but she refused to believe she would have to wait for five more years to talk with her vampire.

She had a full proof plan, so what could go wrong?

* * *

There had been a surprising number of people still working on their projects, and she had been relieved when the bored receptionist said the studios would stay open several more hours for students to complete their entries for the upcoming exhibition. She hated Rio, but she kind of wished she could be there for the art festival. Although her dad probably wouldn't let her go anyway because it could be 'dangerous'. She was human, not a china doll, and he had taught her how to fight so she didn't see the problem. She had managed to get here okay, hadn't she?

With several more light taps of the hammer she sat back and ran the polishing cloth over her finished piece. When she had seen the ad for the beginner metal working class she had known immediately what she would make…and who she would send it to. It had taken her several attempts, and almost all of her allowance on extra material to get it good enough to be worthy of her vampire, but now she was done.

With trembling fingers she stroked over the circle, and smiled at her memories from long ago. Gently, her fingers traced over the edges and she wondered if he would like it … and if he would realize who had sent it to him.

"Interesting," her teacher murmured. "Very American. What made you choose tin instead of silver?"

Her fingers protectively curled around her finished project. "They used to call them 'tin stars' back then, and he likes history. Plus he's allergic to silver."

"Hmm," the teacher hummed. "Still, it is well done, especially for a first try. He must mean a lot to you to spend so much time on such a trinket. Bravo!" The teacher awkwardly went to pat her shoulder, but his hand froze midair and instead he jerkily nodded and hurriedly moved on to the next student.

She ignored the typical response, and ran her fingers over the small badge. Carefully she traced the outer circle of metal that surrounded the five-pointed star. Carefully stamped in the center of the star were the words 'Sheriff Godric of Texas'. She had modeled the badge after one of the more ornate ones from the history books, and the shiny piece was carefully etched with subtle filigree that had been more difficult then she had expected. It was every-so-slightly lopsided, but she thought it still looked great. She smiled when she thought of her vampire opening up the gift she had worked so hard on. She remembered being so surprised that he didn't have his own badge like her bear.

"Very cool!"

The loud voice behind her made her jump, and she twisted around to see a blond haired boy a year or two older than her peering intently over her shoulder. What was his name? Mitch … Max … no, Marco. He was one of the only boys in the class that sometimes tried to talk to her, although each time he stuttered, turned red, and quickly fled. It surprised her that he kept at it, considering every other boy now kept several desks between their own and hers.

"Um, thanks." She carefully wrapped a soft cloth around the badge, and placed it in her jacket pocket. She didn't like other people looking at it, and she really didn't want to answer questions about why she had made what looked like a silly toy when everyone else had worked on more sophisticated projects.

"You're Alexandra, right? I'm Marco," he said, and blushed bright red when his voice cracked. He shifted nervously on his feet like he wanted to run away, but obviously forced himself to relax.

She smiled, and bit her lip to not laugh at how silly he sounded. At least he had finally managed to actually talk to her. "Yeah, but call me Alex. Alexandra makes me think I'm in trouble."

"Sure!" he grinned in relief, and shoved his hands into his pockets. He glanced behind her at the other students and loudly spoke. "So, is it true that you've lived all over the world?"

She shifted and fiddled with some tools on her table, but finally shrugged. "Yeah, dad travels a lot for business and he doesn't like to leave me behind, especially since my brothers go with him too."

"Neat!" He seemed unsure of what to say next as she stared at him, and he rather desperately glanced behind her again. Why did he keep looking at his friends? "Um, a bunch of us are about to go across the street and pick up Halloween costumes for tomorrow. Do you want to come?"

"I didn't think you celebrated Halloween here," she stalled as she weighed her options. He was really inviting her to hang out with him and his friends?

"We don't really do the trick-or-treating thing, but there are some big parties. Ernesto's dad is American and a big time CEO, and is throwing a huge one. There's gonna be candy, and Ernie told us he would show us how American kids celebrate!"

Alex tried to think of how she could possibly do this and not get into trouble. She already felt guilty at lying to her dad, but … but for the first time a human her own age actually asked her to hang out. Plus wasn't there supposed to be candy at Halloween? _C__hocolate_ candy?

"C'mon, Alex, it'll be great! Your brothers always pick you up as soon as the class is over. Do you have a costume? You can come with us now across the street and get one."

She really wanted to go … and her dad _did _say he wanted her to have more human experiences. Plus there would be chocolate, which she was rarely allowed. The idea of candy, dressing up, and going on an adventure quieted the nervous fluttering in her stomach. "Okay."

Marco excitedly grabbed her hand, and although he winced, he didn't let go. With quick steps he pulled her towards the group. "C'mon guys! The costume store is only open for another half hour, and our parents will be here soon!"

For a moment, the others stared at them before one of the boys swallowed heavily and nodded. Everyone was really quiet as they left the building, and there was a wide open space around Alex and Marco. The boys stared in shock at Marco who seemed to grow paler as sweat beaded on his forehead.

Alex awkwardly coughed, and looked at one of the girls. "Um, I like your shoes. They're really pretty." It was lame, but the girl seemed pleased.

"Yes they are. Your shirt isn't half bad, and the dark blue looks good with your red hair. You don't have freckles, so do you dye it? It's really long."

Alex nervously fingered a lock of hair that went to the middle of her back. "Thank you. It's always been this color though. Um, my dad says that until I'm fifteen I'm not allowed to dye my hair or do anything else drastic like cut it off. I wanted purple highlights last year and he looked at me like I was crazy." Alex shifted, and carefully removed her hand from Marco's. His palm was all sweaty, and it felt oddly warm compared to what she was used to. Something about his scent was also weird, and she wished he wouldn't stand so close.

She looked at the other girls, and mentally thanked her dad for making sure she wore what was fashionable for girls her age in this country. Although, and she had always rolled her eyes at this, he had lectured her continually on how important it was to blend in.

Huh, maybe her dad wasn't as old and out of touch with humans as she had thought. She was happily surprised when the girl actually continued to talk to her.

"So you've lived all sorts of places? You speak our language pretty well, how many others do you know?" the girl asked, and noisily chomped open-mouthed on her gum.

Alex tried not to wince at the disgusting sight. "Um, five fluently, and I know two others enough to get myself in trouble." Gods above, she needed to stop babbling, they probably thought she was really stupid. She blinked, startled, when the girl blew a noisy bubble.

"What was your favorite place? Oh, and I'm Rosie by the way."

Alex smiled shyly. "Dallas, Texas in the United States. I loved it there."

"Really? How come?"

Alex blushed bright red as all thoughts of being cool and composed fled. Her hand slid into her jacket pocket, and she felt a small surge of confidence break through her nerves when she fiddled with the sheriff's badge.

"Oooh, was there a boy there?" Rosie squealed, and suddenly the other girls pressed closer. "Was he hot? Older? Do you still talk to him? Do you have a picture? Is he as cute as your brothers?"

Alex stared cluelessly, confused on why they were suddenly so excited. Well, at least they were talking to her, even if most of the boys stayed as far away from her as possible. Even Marco looked relieved to be jostled to the side. Still, she didn't want to talk about Godric as her chest always hurt worse when she did, and she got so angry at how unfair it was. Whatever he was to her was something she was still figuring out, something so big and important and confusing that trying to give words to it was impossible.

"Yeah. He's, um, a _little_ older than me. I haven't seen him in awhile though," she added hurriedly to stop any further questions. She missed him so much, and she couldn't wait to send him his gift. He had to love it, right?

Alex breathed a sigh of relief when they finally got to the costume store. She looked around curiously at the colorful costumes, and snickered when Marco held up a pair of plastic fangs.

He seemed to hesitate, before he smiled. "Cheesy, I know, but it's fun. What do you want to go as? You're pale enough to be a vampire, we could go as the same thing," he added hopefully.

She wrinkled her nose. "Nah."

Marco puffed out his chest. "Are you scared of vampires? I'll protect you!"

She bit her tongue so hard it made her eyes water. Him … protect her? From vampires? A newborn could easily beat even the strongest of humans, and from the way he moved she really doubted he actually knew how to fight. Of course, the silly boy didn't actually know that vampires existed.

Suddenly her gaze fell upon a display, and her face lit. _Wicked_ was her favorite musical and she ran her fingers longingly over the black dress. Her dad and brothers had always warned her that witches were not to be trusted, but she had always wanted to dress up like Elphaba. She had always liked her, since she knew what it was to be the different one in a family. Too bad she didn't have any powers though, and was just a plain human.

She grabbed the black hat and robe, as well as a tube of green face paint. She mentally thanked the gods that her father and brothers didn't barge into her room ever since she was twelve, and there had been the 'incident' with her somehow getting stuck in one of her new bras. Who knew those things were so hard to get in and out of? She hadn't wanted them to see her half-dressed, and her dad had had to glamour a female to come in to rescue her, as well as to explain the differences in types of bras and how to wear them. It had been humiliating. She knew her family could hear everything the woman said, along with her own awkward questions, and she had barely been able to look them in the eyes for _days_.

After everyone paid, Alex glanced down at her watch in panic. "Oh no, I have to go! When and where are we meeting tomorrow?"

Rosie shot a look at the others, who all either shrugged or nodded. "At Ernie's house in the Leblon district next to the ocean. It's number 6 on the street. Will your brothers bring you?"

"No, they're going to be busy," Alex answered, confused.

Obviously disappointed, Rosie nodded, and went back to playing with her phone.

Alex startled when a trembling hand caught her arm, and barely managed to not throw Marco over her shoulder.

"Yes?" She edged away from him, since he was still pale and sweating. Was he sick?

"Um …" he shifted his feet, and ran his hand through his shaggy blond hair. He looked rather desperately over at his friends, and stood up straight. "Um … so this guy in Texas … you haven't seen him for awhile?"

She frowned at him. Why did he want to know about Godric? "No, it's been a few years. Why?"

He smiled and glanced over again at the other boys. "No reason. I, um, really can't wait to hang out with you tomorrow. You will come, right?" His hazel eyes were hopeful as they stared at her.

She felt uneasy, like she was missing something really evident. "Yeah, I'll have to sneak out, but it should be okay." They stared at each other for a moment and she finally coughed awkwardly, aware that the other kids were giggling. Well, the girls were giggling while the boys just stared. "Uh, I need to go home now, okay?"

He hurriedly nodded and shoved his hands into his jean pockets. "Yeah, cool. See you tomorrow Alex!"

She waived and dashed off back to the hotel. Her family should still be out for a few more hours but she would need time to stash her costume. She wished she could ask George about what had just happened with Marco, but if their Dayman knew she had snuck out he would definitely tell her dad.

Batman never had these problems, she grumbled to herself and ran faster. She still had a bedtime like some little kid, and if her dad got home and she wasn't asleep she would be in real trouble. She doubted Alfred, who was sort of like Bruce Wayne's dad, ever made Batman go to bed early.

* * *

The cab pulled up to the only villa on the block fully decorated with tombstones, skeletons, and spider webs. The villa was lit with carved pumpkins in each window, music blared, and the guests spilled out onto the lawn.

The odd, golden eyes of the female cabbie met hers in the rearview mirror. "Are you sure about this, little one? The streets of Rio can be dangerous late at night, even in such a high-class area. Do you have a way to get home after the party?"

Alex blinked, torn from her nervous thoughts about how to blend in with humans. "I'll be fine, thanks. What do I owe you?"

The cabbie sighed, and grudgingly told her the amount. "Kid, if you need a ride after this call this number and ask for Amaryanda. I will come pick you up, okay?"

Alex reluctantly pocketed the business card as she handed over the last of her extra spending money. Her dad gave her her small allowance in three month blocks so that she would learn 'monetary wisdom and budgeting'. She had scraped together every penny for months, and she had just enough left in a zippered inner pocket to mail her gift. She wasn't exactly sure how she was going to get home since she couldn't afford another cab ride, but she supposed she would figure it out later.

"Lexi!"

She ignored the loud shout, and walked towards the very large house.

"Lexi!"

Alex stared when a breathless Marco dressed as a rather cheesy vampire with a cape ran up to her.

"Didn't you hear me?" he gasped.

She shook her head. "No."

He smiled, and looked down at his shuffling feet. "Um, well. I thought that 'Lexi' could be a cute nickname for me to call you." He saw the look on her face and furiously backpedaled. "I mean, um, if you don't mind?"

Did humans randomly name their new friends without their permission? Was this some sort of weird adolescent human bonding ritual? Would it be weird if she told him that she really disliked being called anything other than Alex? Okay, so she really liked 'little firefly' but only Godric could call her that! Just like he was Mr. Sheriff Sir. The one time Gabriel tried to tease her about that, she had pitched such a fit that she had been grounded for two weeks. This boy wasn't even a nest mate, so why would he think he could rename her?

Marco sulked, and his shoulders sagged. "You don't like it."

"Oh!" she said, and fiddled with the sleeve hem of her black dress. "It's, uh, not that. Um, my family comes from …" she stared at his vampire outfit before a light bulb went off in her head. "… ah, Romania, and nicknames are only used amongst family members," she fibbed.

"Oh."

He looked so miserable that she took pity on him, although she really didn't like the name. At least it would only be for one night. "I guess you can call me that if you want."

The boy immediately brightened, and she congratulated herself on apparently passing Human Teenage Interactions 101.

The warm, and damp, hand that tried to slip into her own made her jump. It wasn't hot out, so why was he so sweaty? Did he have some weird human affliction? If touching her made him feel so bad, then why did he continue to do it?

Marco beamed, even as he took very steady, deep breaths. "The others are waiting for us, and Ernie has everything we need. He said that if we go a few streets over there's a super creepy house. He even has toilet paper!" he whispered conspiratorially.

She frowned as he pulled her along through the crowds of humans dressed up as all sorts of fantastical creatures and monsters. Toilet paper?

They finally broke through the last hedge in the garden, and Alex struggled to fix her pointed hat. The green face paint was already getting itchy, and so far the evening hadn't exactly been exciting or filled with yummy chocolate. Not to mention she still had to drop the package at the post office drop box by midnight.

"Finally! We weren't sure if you were coming or not," Ernie said, and seemed to glare at Marco. "We only have so long before my parents check on us, so we have to hurry!"

"I'm sorry," Alex apologized and fell into step with the others. "My dad and brothers were going out tonight and they took forever in front of the mirror! I swear, Bennet primps more than a girl!"

Rosie perked up. "He's your brother with the shoulder-length dark hair?" she asked dreamily, and the other girls sighed in unison. It was rather creepy.

Alex shifted slightly away from them. Uh oh. "Yeah."

"Oh my god, he's so hot!" one of the other girls squealed. "Could you introduce him to us? We saw him come to the school last week to pick you up, and he's _gorgeous_!"

Alex was starting to get a funny feeling on why these girls were suddenly being nice to her. It hurt her feelings, but she refused to let them see that.

"I would," she lied, "but we're moving again tomorrow as Dad needs to go check on another branch of his business."

Marco tensed, then flung an arm over her shoulder and smirked at the other boys. "So _Lexi_, tonight is your last night then? We'll make sure you have a ton of fun to remember Rio by!"

* * *

Alex walked quickly through the dark streets and tried to remember how to get back to her hotel. How could everything have gone bad so quickly? Her lips trembled, as she wiped hard at her mouth and walked faster. This area of town scared her, the buildings closer together and more run down. She wanted to run, but her dad had always said that running attracted more attention from predators, so instead she forced herself to walk quickly. She couldn't believe they had just left her there, and the _things_ Marco had said…

She shuddered in the cold, and briskly rubbed her arms. She was scared, and it was so much easier to be brave back at the warm nest. She wished she had a knife, but her dad kept them locked up when she wasn't training. Even when she had complained that she was good enough to be trusted with one, he hadn't budged.

The buildings appeared to lean down towards her, their dirty windows and graffiti painted bricks making her heart thump faster.

"Batman wouldn't be afraid," she muttered to herself, even as her feet seemed to move faster on their own. "I'm not scared, I'm not!" She could do this. Her dad had trained her to fight, and she could totally kick anybody's butt who tried to mess with her!

She was just crossing in front of a dark alley when a soft noise made her freeze. "H-hello?" Her only answer was ominous silence, and she could have hit herself for saying anything. What if it caught someone's attention? She strained her eyes, but the alley was too dark to see into. She had just convinced herself she had imagined it, when a yowl and loud rattling split the air.

Alex grinned and relaxed as an orange cat raced out of alley so fast it's legs were a blur. "It was just a stupid cat!" she giggled in relief. Maybe Josiah was right and she really needed to cut down on the zombie movies …

She turned to continue on her way, but her entire body went taut as a _scratching_ noise, like a single claw moving slowly across uneven bricks, whispered out of the dark alley. Her body trembled as every hair on her arms rose, and her fear skyrocketed. Did the night seem even colder than it did before? Her breath frosted the air in front of her in short, quick puffs.

Her voice trembled. "Here, kitty kitty," she whispered hopefully. Maybe the orange cat had had a friend?

Another _scraaatch_, this one almost mockingly slow, slithered insidiously out of the darkness, and she shuddered. Her mind flashed back to the cat, and just how fast it had run out of the alley. Oh gods above, there was something else in there, and she really, really doubted it was another cat.

She took a deep breath, and slipped her shaking hand into her pocket. The round badge was a comforting weight as she clung to the image of thundercloud grey eyes, and the feeling of warm power wrapped snugly around her. Slowly, she began to edge away. Don't run. Don't. Run. She could do this, she wasn't afraid. She _wasn't_.

She gasped and froze, eyes wide, as the alley appeared to somehow expand, even while the shadows melded into something darker, and more solid. The air turned so cold she couldn't feel her fingers or toes.

"Here, kitty kitty," mocked a soft, sibilant voice that floated on the icy air. "Here." _Scratch._ "Kitty." _Scraatch._ "Kitty." _Scraaaaatch._

She was too scared to move, too scared to do anything other than stare into the alley.

Cold laughter hissed through the air, and the voice whispered tenderly, "Delicious." _Scraaatch. _"Delicious, child." _Scraaatch_. "Tender child." _Scraaatch_. "_Special_ child," it cooed in a high-pitched voice. _Scraaaaatch._

Her heart pounded in mind-numbing fear, and her body refused to move. A blur of orange ran at her, and she cried out when sharp claws sliced across her shins. It was the orange cat from before, and it glared up at her and hissed as it slashed at her again.

The pain broke her trance, and she turned and fled as fast as her feet could take her. She didn't know which direction she ran, only that it was away from whatever was in that alley. The enraged roar that shattered the air behind her gave her feet wings and she raced across the broken pavement.

Within a block she had entered another District, this one slightly better than the last. She saw lights on in a house, and dashed towards it. She didn't care who, or what, lived there, only that they could help her. Was that thing, that Shadow Monster, chasing her? She didn't know, but she really really hoped that it couldn't cross a threshold.

She tripped up to the porch stairs, her witches hat hanging nearly sidewise and her green face pant smeared from tears and sweat. "Help me!" she cried, and pounded on the door. "Please! Let me in!"

The door opened and she scrambled through before the startled woman could say anything. She hit the slick floor, skidded across the hallway, and tumbled into the main living area of the house where she collapsed to her hands and knees.

"Thank you!" she gasped. "Thank you so much! Something bad was chasing me, and I thought I was a goner!"

There was no answer, and she suddenly realized that the dark wood floor under her hands was covered in silvery chalk designs. Slowly, her eyes traced the loops and curves as she lifted her head and raised shocked eyes to the two dozen men and women who stared at her in various degrees of distaste and surprise.

Alex's eyes widened, and she staggered to her feet excitedly. "Are you witches? My dad's told me all about you!"

* * *

"Hey! Let me go!" Alex shouted, and tried to twist herself free of whatever invisible power held her in its grip several feet off the floor.

"You are no normal human. Only those touched by the Supernatural, and having no ill intentions, could have entered into the ritual room."

"I don't know what you're talking about, I'm just a girl! Look, there was this _thing _chasing me and-"

A short, dark-haired male dressed in what looked like a weird toga snorted. "Our wards are at their strongest, nothing can get through them. If you were 'just a girl' then how did you know to name us witches? You are no Were, or other Supernatural being."

Even though she was relieved that she wasn't going to become some Shadow Monster's snack, she was still a teenager, and one that had had a rather bad night. "Disney, haven't you ever seen Mickey in _Fantasia?_"

The male nodded towards someone behind her, and she cried out when the power squeezed. "Ow! Stop it!"

"We will stop when you tell us the truth," he said coldly. "You mentioned something was chasing you? It would be a pity if we tossed you back outside where the wards on the property could not protect you."

Her eyes darted to the outside door, and she shuddered at the idea of being near whatever that thing was again. "M-my dad is a vampire."

There was a moment of silence, and then the two dozen male and female witches began to point and shout.

"Silence," the man said, and instantly there was quiet. "Vampires," he spat. "So you're a filthy spy then. Are you dressed so offensively to mock us on our holiest of nights?" He glanced at a another witch. "Valeria, wipe that disgusting paint off her face."

Her eyes went wide, "No! I'm not a spy! I was running away from that monster and yours was the only house with their lights on!" She flinched when a mousy looking woman roughly rubbed at her face and neck with a damp cloth. "Hey, be careful, that's my face you're scrubbing off!" She knew she should stay calm and not antagonize them, but after everything that had happened this last indignity was just too much.

The witch ignored her, but when the cloth moved over her neck she gasped and turned towards the man. "Sebastion! We can't keep her here, what if _they_ come for her?"

Alex grimaced as whatever power was squeezing her tightened yet again, and this time she hadn't even done anything! "Yes, I would be really missed. A lot!" Her mind finally started thinking, and she could have smacked herself. What were The Codes for someone part of a vampire nest for dealing with witches? Her mind was completely blank, and panic began to fester in her stomach.

"I doubt the girl's companions are strong enough to bother us," Sebastion said dismissively.

Alex glared, affronted by the insult to her family. She opened her mouth to tell them exactly who her dad was, when the fact that she had snuck out only to fall into the clutches of the vampire's mortal enemies crossed her mind. Well, that and her dad's probable reaction. Oh dear gods above, he was going to _kill _her. Or worse, make her run laps and do push-ups for hours and hours and hours!

"Search her pockets. I want to make sure she doesn't have some fanger weapon on her," Sebastian ordered.

When one of the witches reached into her pocket and pulled out the badge, she began to once again struggle. "No! That's mine! Give it back!"

The witch had gone so pale that even her lips were white. "S-Sebastion!" she choked out, and thrust the small trinket towards the male.

He stared at the item in shock, and for the first time seemed afraid. "H-how do you know Death?" he demanded. The watching coven flinched, and began to mutter nervously to each other.

Alex was perplexed. "Who?"

His dark eyes flashed as he glared hotly down at her, his anger overcoming his fear. "The Gaul, foolish girl! The corpse that even his own despicable kind fear!"

Her eyes narrowed, and the temper her dad had tried so hard to teach her to control ignited. "Don't you call him those nasty names! He's _Godric_ and he's … he's…" Her voice hitched and trailed off as she struggled to find the words to explain what she felt when she thought of her vampire. He was calm grey eyes that quieted her fear and pain, and a soft purr that soothed and protected. He was her sword wielding protector that slayed monsters, and a dark power that wrapped around her like a warm blanket. He was quiet times out by their pond under a starlit sky, and a night blooming flower forever preserved in a beloved book. How could she ever explain everything he was to her, had been to her since she was just five years old, when she did not understand it herself? He was safety, warmth, and comfort … he was … he was …

Her eyes welled with tears and she bit her lip as everything hit her at once. She wanted Godric to be here with her, wanted it so badly that the ache in chest throbbed and pulsed stronger than ever, before a wave of exhaustion crashed down on her and she hung weakly in whatever power held her. No witch would dare hurt her with him nearby.

The world suddenly seemed so much bigger and scarier, and she realized just how small she really was. She wished she had never snuck out. Her dad was right, she wasn't ready to deal with other Supernaturals, and now they were going to hurt her and she would never see her family to tell them how sorry she was. She would never see _Godric_ to tell him … tell him … Her chest throbbed stronger than ever, and her eyes clenched shut.

"Who are you to the Gaul, idiot girl?" Sebastion shouted.

Something moved within her, and she felt a wave of cold strength sweep through her that cleared the cobwebs from her brain. She opened her eyes, and tried to look as dignified as possible in her wilted costume. "I am Alexandra, adopted human daughter of Theron, head of the Makhaira Vampiric Bloodline. Godric of Gaul has a-" she stumbled for a moment as she tried to remember some connection that would make the witches think twice on harming her. "-has a Blood Alliance with the Makhaira line."

She glared at the gobsmacked witches, and couldn't help but add, "And he's gonna be super duper pissed when he finds out you were mean to me!"

"What is the meaning of this?" a cool feminine voice called from the doorway and Alex stared at the white-haired woman dressed in darkest blue with piercing green eyes. Although very old, she still walked proudly upright as the other witches hurriedly stepped out of her way. The hair on her arms rose, and somehow Alex could feel that this witch was stronger than all the others, and her fear increased ten fold. The ache in her chest spiked, and she blindly felt like she was stretching and searching for something just out of reach.

"Priestess," Sebastion said with a deep bow. "We caught this spy, and have her here for questioning.

Alex's mouth dropped open in outrage. "You're a big liar! I told you who I am, and I even remembered the right words too." The power suddenly released her and she tumbled to the ground, only to spring to her feet and put her hands on her hips. "This is just an accident, I didn't mean to bother anybody. It's Halloween, I mean Samhain, and I got invited out by some … friends. I was on my way home when I ran across something scary, and yours was the only house with a light on! I didn't even know that this was your coven's nest!"

Sebastion sneered. "We are not filthy vampires to live in a nest, you foolish girl."

Alex was momentarily distracted, she always did like learning new things. As long as it wasn't math. "Oh. Um … what is it you live in then?"

The man rolled his eyes. "Enclaves!"

"While your search for knowledge is commendable," the Priestess said dryly, "I do wish to clear this up in time to complete the midnight rituals. Where are your friends to substantiate your story? I doubt they would let you wander alone through this area of the city." The old woman raised a single eyebrow, and made an obvious show of looking around.

Alex frowned down at the tips of her converse sneakers. There was no way she was going to further embarrass herself by telling these witches everything that had happened. They would probably laugh at her, and she was humiliated enough for one night. She had been so surprised when the seemingly nice, if clingy, boy had turned nasty. At least with Supernaturals she _knew_ they were dangerous as they made no attempt to pretend otherwise.

"I am speaking to you, child, and it is polite to respond." The woman's tone was glacial, and Alex wanted Godric again so badly that it was a sharp ache in her chest.

Alex bit her lip but raised her chin stubbornly as she met the witch's bright green eyes. "It's none of your business, and I want my badge back. I worked really hard on it, and it's not for you. I told you who I am, and if you ignore it my family will bring war down upon you. It's in _T__he_ _Codes_," she stressed.

Why weren't they following the rules that her dad had forced her to learn? What was the point in learning it if they were going to just hurt her anyway? If this turned out to be as useless as geometry in the real world, she was gonna be _so_ pissed at her dad.

The old woman shook her head. "I only have to follow The Codes if what you say is true…or if I think I will be caught ignoring them. This is a truth that you must learn if you wish to survive in our community." The woman paused as she ran her eyes over the girl, and her gaze lingered on the shimmering marks on her throat and wrists. She had been upstairs when she had felt a wave of something, some odd power that managed to slip through the wards, and had hurried downstairs to determine it's root.

"Priestess!" Sebastion implored.

"Silence." She waived a hand and a small bubble enclosed the two of them, and hid their words off from the the others in the room. "If this girl is telling the truth we cannot harm her. It would bring about a war the likes of which our kind could not survive. No vampire would tolerate one such as her being killed."

"She's a Fated Mate! Killing her will keep whatever vampire the gods have decided to bless away from the power of her blood. Nobody has to know."

The old woman shook her head in distaste. "Sebastion, besides my disinterest in killing a child, do you not feel something different with this girl? I have studied many things in my life, and never have I heard of a Fated Mate found so young. Usually the gods keep such humans hidden away from the Supernatural so that they may grow as they will. Instead, this one actually lives within a nest. Why? What reason do the gods wish for her existence to already be known years before she feels The Pull? There is some power already around the girl, and I do not wish to interfere in the gods' plans. Not to mention if she truly does know the Gaul … well, that is one vampire I have no desire to ever cross."

Sebastion scowled, but nodded his compliance as the Priestess took down the privacy spell. He glared at the watching girl. "If you are lying-!"

"I wouldn't lie about such a thing. My dad said that if one ever claimed wrongful allegiance with a bloodline, that it would mean instant death if the person was caught." Alex really wished she knew what the two of them had talked about. Whatever it was, it had definitely pissed off the male.

The old woman continued to stare at her with those knowing eyes and folded her hands together. "Well then, I see only one thing to do. Give the girl a phone and let us hear what the Gaul has to say. Put it on speaker, and place it on the table."

Alex blinked when a cell phone was shoved into her hands by a scowling Sebastion.

"Call the Gaul so we can get this over with," he snapped.

Alex counted herself lucky that besides learning Godric's address from her father's papers, she had also memorized his phone number when her dad once again forgot his phone on the dining room table. If it hadn't been for her promise to never call her vampire again, and the threat of death by wolf fangs, she would have called him the moment she discovered his number. Luckily for her, her dad hadn't made her promise not to _mail_ him anything. An important, if small, loophole.

Excitement fluttered in her belly, and she hit the numbers with trembling fingers and put the phone on the table. She was going to talk to Godric again! He would make everything okay with the witches, and then she would get to actually talk to him. She had practiced what she was going to say in the mirror for ages and ages, but as the phone rang every phrase chosen to show him how composed and mature she now was, disappeared.

She gulped when the phone was picked up and lowered her head, her eyes clenched tight when a calm, accented voice answered. The voice seemed to reach to that place inside of her chest, and soothed.

"Yes?"

She tried to say something, she really did, but her heart was beating so fast, and her throat felt as dry as the Sahara. Deep joy welled, and her entire body trembled with the strength of it.

"Who is this?" the voice asked again, a hint of firm command now in its soft tones.

"G-Godric?" she stuttered, and cringed when her voice cracked. She ignored the snickers of the watching coven, and her eyes defiantly found the green ones of their Priestess. They would see that she and Godric did know each other and they would leave her alone…and nobody would ever, ever, _ever_ tell her dad about this.

The pause seemed to go on forever, and she nervously licked her lips as the Priestess' eyebrows rose. "Um … Godric?" She was vaguely pleased that this time her voice was clear, and that she didn't stutter. "It's me … Alex."

A sudden worry hit her. Why wasn't he answering? Had he forgotten about her?

* * *

Godric woke for the night, and stared up at the canopy of his hand-carved mahogany bed. He ignored the trappings of wealth, and slid out from under the the unnecessary covers as his thoughts traveled down well worn roads. Sometimes he longed for the simple days of sleeping in the earth, but it was easier to allow Isabel to decorate as she pleased. Frankly he was disinterested that a a vampire of his age and position was 'required to have a certain appearance'. When he had, rather politely he thought, questioned why Isabel found it so important to decorate his private resting place, she had only shook her head in exasperation.

He stepped into the overly spacious bathroom and within three minutes had showered, dried, and dressed for the day, his thoughts still dark. What was the point of eternity if this was what he had to look forward to? Every night the same, with vampires coming before him for advice or punishment. Once he had thought that his kinds could change, but with The Great Revelation coming in just a few years, the unrest amongst his kind only grew and proved him wrong.

He walked through his nest and ignored the watching vampires and their glamoured humans with practiced ease. As he passed an open window, he paused and looked out into the garden as the fragrant scent of moonflowers seemingly curled around him. Three years ago Isabel had had the entire garden replanted with dozens of the delicate plants. When he had objected, she had rather tartly asked why he cared since he never concerned himself about such trifles in the past. Unless, she rather insolently insinuated, there was a _reason_ for his sudden dislike of her landscaping choices? His lack of response had made her smug, and the planting had continued until the nest smelled constantly of the night-blooming flora.

With an internal sigh, he sat behind his desk and glanced down, as was his habit, at the locked drawer. Alex would be thirteen now … three years closer to reaching her maturity and feeling The Pull towards her mate. He easily imagined that the bright and creative child had dozens of human friends, and no longer thought of the Dallas nest. He suspected such thoughts to plague his Second, since she seemed so intent on reminding herself of the girl. If the flowers made Isabel happy, then Godric had reluctantly decided to tolerate their aroma.

He looked up as his Lieutenants entered the office, and nodded at Isabel and Stan as they led in two young vampires. For some reason he felt oddly on edge, and he took a moment to center himself. "Report," he ordered softly, and leaned back to listen as they discussed the first problem of the night. Apparently a young Maker was unable to control his new Child, and the duo had run afoul of a local Were pack. This was why vampires were strongly encouraged to not Turn anyone before they reached at least 150 years of age. After that concern was addressed, they moved on to the next.

Godric was giving judgement to three vampires who should have known better than to challenge his rules, when he suddenly froze and his head tilted to the side as if he listened to something just out of reach.

Isabel and Stan glanced at each other, but the other other three vampires were too terrified to even raise their eyes from the floor.

"Sheriff?" Isabel asked quietly when Stan nudged her. She flinched when her Sheriff turned his attention to her. Very few vampires could meet the Ancient's eyes without cringing at the power his seemingly young form contained and that so easily blanketed the space around him. Even contained it made those around him … uncomfortable.

"My apologies, I thought I had heard something." He continued to pass down judgement to the three vampires, and to those that followed them, but it was obvious to Isabel that he was slightly distracted.

When the last vampire was pulled from the office by his ears by a grinning Stan, Isabel firmly closed the door and stared at her Sheriff. "Godric, are you well?" she asked softly, concerned as the Ancient seemed to absentmindedly rub at his chest.

"Yes, I thought for a moment that I had felt something from one of my progeny, but they are both well."

Isabel's eyes furrowed. "What was it that you sensed?"

Her Sheriff's eyes remained narrowed in deep thought as he continued to try and recapture the faint sensation. He ignored his sudden desire for blood with practiced ease, although he should not feel such cravings for another three weeks. "Perhaps I only imagined it, it has been long since I fed and I find that I am … tired."

She was honored that he trusted her enough to share even that small bit of information as her sheriff was a deeply private man. In the 400 years she had been his lieutenant, such confessions could be counted on three fingers. When he looked up, she was once again saddened to see how flat and lifeless his eyes appeared in his young face. Instead of their once grey color, they now appeared almost like a muddy brown. Her ploy with the moonflowers to remind the Ancient of the joyful child that once resided in the nest seemed to have failed. In fact, if it had not been for the shattered desk, and his gentle tone with a sick Alex three years ago, she would still be under the assumption that he was completely indifferent. She debated on calling Eric to come for an impromptu visit, but he was just as busy in his own Area dealing with the upcoming Great Revelation.

"Do not fret, Isabel." Godric said calmly, his wise eyes easily discerning her worry. "All is well. Now, what do we have-"

The ringing phone interrupted, and Godric glanced curiously at the unknown and foreign number as he reached for the receiver. "Yes?"

For a moment nothing came over the line and he raised an eyebrow. "Who is this?" he asked, a hint of steel entering his voice.

The voice that came over the line, although obviously deeply stressed, was the most welcome sound he had heard in years. For the first time in centuries he found himself unable to immediately respond.

"G-Godric?"

* * *

"It's me … Alex." Her heart beat so fast she was sure he had to hear it all the way in Dallas.

"Little one," he replied, and she almost wept at the gentle tone that he had sometimes used just for her. He hadn't forgotten her!

The child almost seemed to sway in relief, and the brilliant smile she turned on the watching coven made the Priestess' lips quirk. The defiant, but obviously terrified, girl from before was replaced by a giddy young teenager, and the drastic change was oddly … endearing. Apparently this girl was not afraid of a vampire that other Supernaturals feared.

It was obvious that the child was very fond of the deadly and terrifying vampire, a fact that was only proven true when she bounced excitedly on her toes and started to chatter as if her life did not depend upon the outcome of the call. Delicately, the Priestess cleared her throat to get the young Fated Mate's attention.

Alex's eyes flashed towards the noise, and her rambling about all the places she had been since she had last spoken to Godric came to a sudden halt.

"Alex," Godric's soft voice said, "while my nest is now swept for listening and tracking devices regularly, why did you contact me knowing the danger? I somehow doubt Theron would approve of this. Who is that in the background?"

"Um…" Alex glanced everywhere but at the witches who were looking more and more intrigued by the conversation as it went on. The second, pointed cough from by the Priestess made her shoulders slump. She could feel the sweat drop off her forehead, and saw the green-tinged droplet splatter next to her converse sneakers. Nervously she shuffled her feet, and wondered just how much trouble she was going to be in.

With a resigned sigh she took a deep breath and spoke as fast as humanly possible. "So your name may have been mentioned, and when I finally remembered The Code to tell them who I am they didn't believe me and they threatened to throw me outside where this thing had chased me … and … and please don't tell my dad he'll ground me forever because I wasn't supposed to be out on Samhain and I may have dressed up like a witch," she said and cringed as she waited for his reaction. This was a world of not good.

The silence on the other end was deafening.

"Alexandra."

She winced at the flat tone. Yep, she was in trouble. She desperately ignored the smirk that Sebastion gave her, and really wished she had stayed home.

"Yes Mr. Sher…I mean, Godric?" she mumbled.

He would not allow her childhood nickname for him to sway his attention from her current danger. No matter whether or not he had missed it. "Who are your companions? I can hear many heartbeats other than yours."

She scowled, and scuffed her foot over the rune covered floor. She remembered that cool tone, and she didn't like it directed at her. At all. Could this night get any worse?

"Alexandra."

Her eyes burned when he called her by her full name for the second time, and she roughly cleared her throat. The feeling in her chest _ached_. "Just some," she braced herself, "witches."

For the first time in centuries Godric's fangs _snicked_ out against his will, and his progeny suddenly clamored across their bond as they felt his icy rage. He ignored Isabel's uncharacteristic curse as he stared down at the phone in disbelief. How did the child get into such trouble? First Weres, and now witches? And something had chased her as well? If other human children were as accident prone he was surprised any survived to adulthood. The subtle change in her breathing caught his attention, and he irritably swatted at his nosey progeny over their bond.

"Alex, control yourself. This is not the time for tears." He saw the incredulous look Isabel shot him at his curt tone, even as his Second cringed under the force of his dark aura. Further in the nest he heard Stan swear, and a crash as several younger vampires stampeded from the building to get as far from their Sheriff as possible.

Alex bit her trembling lip. "You're angry at me," she whispered painfully, and twisted her fingers nervously in her sleeve. The answer was immediate, but barely made her feel better since she could still somehow tell that he was furious. She sadly thought of her gift to him, and wondered if he would still accept it.

"No, but I do wish to know why your family would allow you to go out on such a night, and dressed as a witch. It is remarkably irresponsible of Theron to risk your well-being in such a way."

The Priestess took this time to interject and remind the Gaul, although she doubted he had forgotten, that the girl was in some rather serious trouble. "Yes, I would like to know this as well considering the girl refused a detailed answer when asked. Her kind is not welcome amongst witches, for all that she is human. Especially on one of our holiest nights. She barged into the coven's home as if she were chased by hungry demons, and has disrupted our sacred rituals."

Alex was confused, but figured the woman meant humans that associated with vampires. She ignored the conversation as the Priestess introduced herself to Godric, and the coldly polite remarks they exchanged as they followed The Code. Maybe they would forget their question, and she wouldn't have to tell them? She eyeballed the distance to the door, and debated if Death By Shadow Monster would be better then having to humiliate herself before her vampire.

"Alexandra," Godric's voice dragged her attention back to the present. "Please explain yourself. Now."

It was not a request.

She could feel her face turn bright red, and she wished that a hole would open up in the ground and swallow her. A new voice came over the phone and Alex cringed when she recognized a very stern Ms. Isabel. Uh oh.

"Answer the Sheriff, Alex."

She gave a pleading look, but at the Priestess' raised eyebrow, her shoulders slumped. "Dad just told us that we had to leave Rio, but I wanted to finish my art project so after they left I, uh, snuck out. At class Marco asked me to go trick-or-treating with them tonight, and I said yes, and we all went and got costumes together. Dad and my brothers didn't know about it, promise! I hid it when I got home. Why is it such a big deal? Other humans dress up like witches all the time!" she whined. "I didn't do anything wrong!"

She slapped a hand over her mouth and cringed at the chilly silence. Sunspots. She really needed sunspots to disrupt the phone call right now! Of course she wasn't that lucky.

"You do not believe sneaking out and lying to your nest, your family, to be wrong?"

The clear disapproval and distaste stung, and she swallowed heavily. "N-No. I m-mean, yes. Um …" She was confused, and didn't know what to say. All she had wanted was to have fun, but everything had gone wrong so quickly, and she hadn't known how to stop it. Then there was that thing in the alley, and now she was surrounded by witches. Why did these things happen to her?

"Continue, youngling."

She cringed at his arctic tone, and took a deep breath. This _sucked,_ and Godric was going to be even angrier. He was probably going to think she was just a pathetic and stupid kid that couldn't take care of herself too. Or maybe … she hurt when she thought that maybe he would think that she deserved what had happened. That Marco had been right with what he had said.

The Priestess watched as the girl seemed to crumble inwards and wrapped her arms around her middle. Perhaps calling the Gaul had not been the best thing to do considering the girl seemed at the point of tears. She really did not want to deal with a furiously protective Ancient vampire. She had been sure the child had been lying, but apparently the two did know each other.

"Dad keeps telling me I need to have more 'human experiences' but …" she trailed off and angrily wiped at her eyes.

"But, what?"

"But …" She trembled, and suddenly it felt like a dam burst inside of her as the words quickly tumbled out. All the pain and confusion she had felt for the past few years surged out of her as she spoke to the one person she trusted more than even Josiah or her Dad. He was her Mr. Sheriff Sir and he would make everything better. "H-Human kids don't like me. They say I'm strange and they don't want to be around me, and I try r-really hard b-but …"

Godric's eyes shut as her words tugged at his heart. Did humans truly not see what a rare treasure she was? He cared not who heard him comfort her, let them know that _he_ valued her, and that if they harmed one hair on her head he would destroy them. For once he was extremely grateful for his vicious reputation. "Do not cry, little firefly. Humans often lack the wisdom to appreciate what they should."

The warmth in his voice made her hope that maybe he wasn't so angry anymore, and gave her the courage to continue. "So when Marco asked me to go with him and his friends I-I thought maybe they had decided to be nice. I didn't know that the girls thought my brothers were hot, and that Marco had asked me out on a date. We were in a group of people, I didn't even know you could go on a date in a group of people. I've always wanted to dress up for Samhain, but dad never let me. I thought there was going to be c-candy, but instead they went around p-playing mean pranks on people with toilet paper and stuff. T-Then things happened and …" her words choked up as she struggled to continue. "And he got so _angry_ at me, and he said mean things, and they all left me, and I was walking home, and I got lost, and it was dark, and I was s-scared and … and … there was this shadowy thing in an alley that said it wanted to eat me, and there was a cat and … and …"

In Dallas, Godric's chest rumbled with a continuous, nearly silent growl that only other vampires could hear as he listened to her pain and confusion. He swore that if his heart could beat, it would have stopped when Alex explained her situation. How did she get into such trouble? What had she stumbled across this time, and what did she mean about a 'shadowy thing' and a cat? Isabel growled lowly next to him, and he shot her a quelling look.

"Alex, take a deep breath and calm yourself." He paused for a moment, and mentally ran back over the jumble of words, and he jerked upright in his chair with a feral growl. "Wait, what date? You are much to young to date."

Alex pouted, and glared at the phone. "Godric I'm not a kid anymore, I'm _thirteen_. How was I supposed to know it was a date since I've never been on one before? Besides …" her voice trailed off and she turned her blushing face away from the coven.

"Continue, little one."

"I don't want to," she whispered.

"You must. Nothing you say could change my opinion of you," he soothed.

Alex's shoulders slumped, and she wanted to hide as she forced the words out. "Humans don't like to touch me, especially males. I don't know why, but it's been that way for the last two years." She took a deep breath, and her voice shook. "M-Marco apparently had a b-bet with the other guys in the art class. T-They said that if he could stand to go on a date with me, to h-hold my hand, t-they would give him… I don't know. Something. Money, maybe."

The witches listened with mounting sympathy, and some amusement, as the small human girl complained about a human boy to one of the most feared and powerful vampires in the world. A vampire that kings and queens begged for advice from about policies that affected nations. The next words, however, had the Priestess begin to seriously contemplate leaving as quickly as possible.

"He kept trying to touch me, and I really thought there was something cool behind the shed!" she said, deeply aggrieved.

The loud snarl, and shattering sound of wood, made her jerk. "Um…Godric?"

"What. Happened. Behind. The. Shed?" He growled each word and ignored Isabel's shudder of fear as his aura snapped viciously in the air. Some _boy _had dared to humiliate her, to use her and prey upon her innocence. If he had forced himself on her, there would be no place on this planet that the human could hide, and his revenge would span _years_. What he would do to the human would make his previous torturous act seem mild-mannered in comparison.

Alex pretended that his protective tone didn't make her feel better, and instead rolled her eyes at Godric's grumpy attitude, much to the horror of the witches. "I really don't want to talk about it." Why were the witches looking at her so strangely? It was just Godric on the phone, even if he was being all growly and overly vampire-y. She had had a really bad night, and she wished he would purr for her, it had always made her feel so safe when she lived in his nest.

"Alex." The word practically had frost clinging to it.

"Tell us what happened, child," The Priestess commanded. The girl looked unharmed, and her clothes were intact, but considering the concern the Ancient was showing, she had no wish for any marks caused by this foolish Marco to be attributed to her coven. Frankly she wanted to get everything over with and to shove the child out the door, and back to her nest. Let _them_ deal with a feral Gaul!

"Fine!" Alex glared daggers at the phone, and crossed her arms over her chest. "He tried to kiss me, but it was nasty and wet, and he tried to shove his tongue in my mouth! When I kneed him and pushed him away, his friends jumped out from behind the shed and started laughing at him. They said he lost the b-bet." She paused and gnawed on her lip as her bravado faded, and her hurt took over. "Godric, is that what kissing is like? I saw Bennett kissing a girl and they both seemed to like it, but it felt like Marco was gnawing my face off like Dr. Lector in that movie _Silence of the Lambs_. Godric, there was drool," she said, deeply aggrieved. Kissing had never looked so nasty in the movies! He had just turned, shoved his face at hers, and mashed their mouths together while keeping his body as far from hers as possible.

Alex frowned in confusion at the horrified look on the Priestess' face. "I had to wipe _drool_ off my face afterwards! After I kneed him, he got really embarrassed when his friends made fun of him. He … he said that I was an ugly tease, a horrible kisser, and a cold fish, and that I could find my way home on my own because the bet was the only reason they had even invited me along. I didn't have any money for a cab because, um, I just didn't, and I got really turned around. Then there was something in an alley, and I thought it was a cat at first but it made this scratching noise like it had claws. It made fun of me, and it was so s-scary, and dad was right about _everything_!"

She went pale and shivered at the memory of how terrified and small she felt. "I-I couldn't move, and it wasn't until the cat scratched me that I ran as fast as I c-could, and I think it was chasing me, and that's how I stumbled across this coven."

The Priestess made a motion to her witches, and they began to quietly slip away from the room. The coven needed to get distance between themselves and the girl if Death went on one of his infamous sprees. People may say that he was reformed, but at his heart she knew he was truly a monster. The girl's coming upon them was obviously an accident, and she wished no part in further enraging a vampire protecting a Fated Mate. Strangely enough she pitied the life this girl would lead, trapped in fate's grip before she ever truly knew what it was to live. Thankfully, the child was not her problem.

Alex was so confused and hurt that she didn't notice that it was only the Priestess and Sebastion left in the room. She had to let Godric know that she hadn't wanted Marco to kiss her. "I didn't want him to be my first kiss, Godric. Why would he call me those names when I was never mean to him? Why would they bet about something like that? What did he mean by calling me a cold fish? Am I ugly? Dad always says that I'm 'lovely', but he's my dad so of course he would say that …" her words trailed off as her embarrassment and confusion hit her like a tidal wave. Why was growing up so hard?

Godric glared down at his desk thousands of miles away as he listened to the poison coming from Alex that some foolish human boy had spouted after his unwelcome advances were spurned. The fact that they bet on her … well, Isabel was practically vibrating with rage, and he was vaguely concerned that she was going to attempt to snatch the phone from him. He hoped she controlled herself, as he would hate to have to punish his Second.

"Godric?" Alex asked, and her fingers tangled in the hem of her sleeve. "Are all dates as confusing as this? I didn't even know I was on a date, and he was just so sweaty and loud, and he smelled weird." She sniffled and miserably looked down at the green face paint smeared across her forearm. "I … I just wanted to do something fun for once, and I'm lonely because dad keeps trying to get me to spend time with humans my own age, b-but I'm not like them … but I'm not a vampire either." Her words grew thick at the end as she struggled to control her emotions like her dad had taught her. She wasn't a child anymore, and she refused to cry over stupid things. It felt good, though, to talk to her vampire about this, even if he was angry with her.

"Alexandra, listen to me," he said firmly and waited for her acknowledgement. Even though her voice was mostly level, he could tell she struggled to hold back tears and it ripped at his silent heart. "I care not what physical attributes you have been graced with, as there is no way that you could ever be ugly. You are a beautiful soul, and are certainly no tease, so I do not wish to hear such words again. They are merely the product of an immature boy who was unworthy of you, and who has much to learn about compassion and honor. You did nothing wrong, little firefly, and I beg to differ with you. It was not your first kiss."

Alex's brow furrowed. "But … I mean—"

"Alex," Godric's voice was so commanding that her teeth closed with a click. "You can only count it as your first when you are also desirous of the act. As for being a 'cold fish'…" Godric's voice trailed off in a snarl. "You are too young for such things, and not responding to the forced advances of a clumsy youth does not make you cold."

Alex smiled, before a random thought hit her. "Um, Godric? Do all guys kiss like that? Or is it a human thing?"

Godric shifted, and stared cooly at a suddenly amused Isabel. He remembered a conversation years ago in a moonlit garden about fireflies and propagating the species, and had no desire to once again delve into such discussions. "Young boys tend to be rather unskilled in that area as it takes time and practice to become proficient."

Alex breathed out a sigh of relief. "So anyone older wont kiss like that?"

"People range in technique and ability," he reluctantly answered. The idea of her kissing anyone made him uncomfortable, and he briefly debated on contacting Theron and alerting him to the fact that human boys were behaving inappropriately with his daughter.

For Alex's own good, of course.

"Well, Bennett seemed to do okay considering his companions always seem happy," she said logically. "He's the youngest of my brothers at 400, so that means older vampires would know what they are doing, and wouldn't gnaw my face off. Or _drool_." She was pleased with her logic, especially since she knew Godric was super old. Although the idea of Godric kissing anyone made something in her stomach flip in a bad way.

"You will not be kissing any vampires!" Godric clamped down so viciously on his bonds and power that he could feel his progeny shudder. It was the True Death for any vampire not their mate to touch one such as her in that manner. Plans swam through his mind on how to further insure that no other Supernatural would even think of touching Alex, and his lips quirked deviously at the perfect idea.

Alex rolled her eyes, but hid a smile. Silly vampire! Of course she wouldn't be kissing any other vampires but him! She was really glad he had told her that he was a better kisser than that stupid Marco. For the first time in a long time she felt really happy.

"I…I've missed you, Godric."

The Priestess smoothly interjected. "Yes, well, be that as it may I think you have proved that your coming here was just an accident. My coven have determined that whatever you say chased you is no longer in the area. You may go. Unharmed. There will be no bad blood between this coven and the Makhaira Bloodline. Or with the Gaul."

Alex blinked as the old woman made a shooing motion with her hands to the door. Where had all the other witches gone?

"But-" Alex frowned when Godric cut her off.

"Witch, I will be sending someone to verify Alex's physical and metaphysical health. It would be rather _unfortunate_ for your coven if any spells or curses were found on her person. I would be most … displeased," he threatened, and his overwhelming power could be felt even over the phone.

The Priestess glanced at Sebastion, who gave a shaky nod. "She will be sent on her way, and I will even supply her currency for a cab as well as cast protection on the vehicle to hide her from evil intent. Our responsibility for her person ends the moment she enters the car. Agreed?"

"Agreed. Alex," Godric ordered. "When you return to your nest Dr. Ludwig will teleport to you, so do not tarry. It is lucky she still has some of your blood on file, young one, so that she can easily find you. You will go directly from the vehicle and into the building."

Alex's jaw dropped. "But … but I don't want to get off the phone! We haven't talked _at all_, and there is so much I want to tell you. Didn't you miss me? I missed _you_," she complained in a heartbroken tone.

Godric kept his face carefully blank during Isabel's muffled laughter. The girl did not understand the seriousness of the danger she still faced. "Child, the danger still persists, and I will not have you in peril for the sake of a silly conversation. Have you not already been in enough trouble for one evening?"

Anger surged through her, and her fists clenched. The only reason she had even been out at night was for his gift! Granted, he didn't know that, but why was he being so mean? Why couldn't he just talk to her?

"You said you sweep your nest for listening devices now, and this phone belongs to someone else. Can't we talk for just a little bit? Please?" she begged.

"Child, I will not endanger you-" To his shock, Alex interrupted him.

"Stop calling me a child!" she shouted, and stomped her foot. "I'm 13, not a kid! Why can't you just talk to me for a few minutes? Why are you being so mean?"

"Alexandra, calm yourself. Your safety is more important than a foolish conversation." Godric raised an eyebrow when Isabel winced, and shook her head.

Alex trembled with anger and hurt. Foolish? He thought talking to her was stupid? The ache in her chest twisted and burned.

"You … you didn't miss me at all, did you?" The realization made her voice crack and splinter. Godric was silent, and she swallowed noisily. Every trick her dad had taught her for controlling her horrible temper disappeared, the pain so deep that tears she had promised herself to never again shed overwhelmed her, and made her words barely understandable.

"I-It was f-for you, and I w-worked so hard and planned for a _year_, a-and y-you don't—" her words ended on a sob before she struggled on. "I'm gonna be in so much trouble with my dad, and I had to save my allowance for months and months, and it was r-really hard but I did … and I … and I …I was so scared and everything was dark!" her fragmented words made little sense, and Godric stared down sightlessly at the desk as she continued.

"And I lied to J-Josiah and e-everyone … and you don't even _care_! You probably never would have called me ever again if I hadn't called you, would you? I hate you!" Alex turned, and ran out of the room and onto the porch where she slumped against the side of the house and hid her face in her knees. She wanted to go home and curl up in her bed and pretend the entire night hadn't happened. Pretend like it was yesterday and she still believed he thought about her as much as she did him. That there weren't creepy things in alleys that made her feel so small and helpless.

The Priestess joined her a few minutes later, and Alex rose shakily to her feet. "His kind are not known for their emotions, child. Here is your trinket back," she said as she handed her the badge. "You said your family is leaving Rio tonight?"

"Yeah," Alex whispered, and rubbed at her chest. She felt more alone than ever before, and it hurt and made her feel sick. She glared down at the stupid badge and wished she had never made it.

The old woman cast out her magic, but felt nothing untoward and escorted the silent child out to the main street. With great relief she smiled when she saw an empty cab idling nearby. Perfect.

"Good, the further away you are from Rio the happier my coven will be." She opened the door and gently shoved the child into the car. With shaking fingers she handed several bills to the golden-eyed male cabbie and traced a protection rune on the door of the car. Something about the driver was odd, but she wanted the girl's life out of her hands, and the ward would not allow any harm to come to her while she was in the car.

"Take her to wherever she wants to go. Goodbye, and please do not return to Rio before you are eighteen."

* * *

Alex huddled in the warm seat and clutched the badge to the empty feeling in her chest. A single tear slid down her face and splashed onto it's surface which she hastily wiped it away. Softly, she gave directions to the driver, pulled her knees to her chest, and wrapped her arms around them.

"Kid, are you okay?"

She met the cabbie's gold eyes in the mirror, and for a moment curiosity pierced through her misery. "Do you know Amaryanda? She drove me earlier and you two have the same eyes." Vague suspicion and familiarity grew, but the man's eyes seemed to flash, and the worries slipped away. He was just a taxi driver, and she had more important things to think about. Like the fact that her dad was going to kill her, and that everything that she had done had been for _nothing_.

The man smiled grimly. "Yes, she is my sister and we share the same area of responsibility. Sometimes that responsibility requires both of us to see it completed. So are you okay? You look like you've had a hell of a night."

"I'm fine." she muttered, and turned away.

"It's a bad night to be out," he offered after a moment. "Its easy to get into all sorts of trouble very quickly. Want to talk about it?"

Her voice was choked sounding. "No."

"Hmm." The man's strange eyes glanced up into the rearview mirror. "Sometimes it helps to talk to someone who isn't involved. Cabbies are like lawyers or shrinks, anything you tell me will stay in this car."

She raised desolate and confused eyes to his. For a moment he was sure she would refuse, but then words began to tumble out into the quiet car.

"He … he didn't want to talk to me! It was a horrible night and everything went wrong, but he got on the phone and made it all better but then he just wanted to send me home. He wouldn't talk to me for even a minute! I had so much I wanted to tell him," she said sadly.

The man gave an odd smile. "Yeah? Did he have a good reason? This isn't exactly a good neighborhood to wander through at night, perhaps he wanted you to go somewhere safer?"

Alex sulkily glared down at the dirty hem of her costume. "No." She paused, rubbed absentmindedly at the twisting pain in her chest, and then reluctantly muttered, "Maybe."

"Are you hurt?" the man suddenly asked, and something was different in his voice. Something fierce.

"No, my chest just aches. It happens sometimes, it always has." She blinked in surprise when the man hit the breaks and abruptly turned around to stare at her.

"Have you told your family?"

"Um, no. Doesn't it happen to most hum—, I mean, most people?"

The man relaxed and she had the odd idea that he was strangely relieved. "Yeah, its normal and nothing you need to think about." He turned around and the car smoothly pulled back into traffic. "So, this friend of yours, he was really looking out for you then? Sounds to me like he was just protecting you."

Her hopeful smile practically lit up the dark interior of the cab. "You think so?"

The cabbie sighed, "Yeah. Unfortunately." The last was said so lowly he must have thought she wouldn't hear him. Before she could ask him what he meant they arrived at her hotel and once again his eyes met hers in the mirror.

"Be more careful in the future. Whatever trouble you got into, I'm sure it could have gone a lot worse for all involved." His knowing eyes looked over her tear stained face and he gave her an oddly forced smile. "Maybe you should apologize to your friend, I'm sure it will make you feel better. Now get yourself home, and no more sneaking out!"

He watched as she scampered into the brightly lit hotel and sighed tiredly. "Shut up, Amarya."

His sister blinked into view in the passenger seat, a teasing smile on her lips. "What? If you ever decide to shed your wings, I feel like you have a great future in writing advice columns to the love lorn in some third-rate newspaper!"

Her brother rolled his eyes and started the car. "Their bond is growing deeper and is taking a stronger physical form. It's been years since they met, or even spoke, so how is this happening? Both are showing the signs, although the vampire's symptoms are more emotional than physical. She still has five more years before she feels The Pull."

"I still can't believe I'm helping you protect _his_ future mate," Amaryanda grumbled.

He ignored his sister's complaint, as he had heard it hundreds of times over the last three years. "This was too close for comfort. My charge should have died this night outside of that alley, yet somehow she survived, and with no help from us. Something blocked our help, then deflected her towards the lesser danger. The creature in that alley would have eaten her soul and feasted upon her body if that cat had not broken her trance. We have barely managed to keep her presence hidden from our other brothers and sisters, and I feel like this is only the beginning. She is no longer content to stay hidden in her family's shadow, and I fear that soon we may not be enough."

* * *

Alex didn't relax until she was behind the closed and locked doors of the nest. What was she going to do? She had to figure out a way to apologize to Godric, and before her dad got home. She wasn't foolish enough to think that he wouldn't know about her adventure, because if Godric didn't tell him, then the building employees who saw her entrance would. She pressed her palm against her chest and thunked her head against the door. What was she going to do?

The sudden voice from behind her made her jump and spin around.

"Well girlie, what trouble did you get yourself into this time?"

For a moment Alex stared at Dr. Ludwig, and then a smile spread across her face.

* * *

Godric stared emotionlessly at a clearly upset Isabel after he got off the phone with a furious Theron. Alex's adopted father was greatly displeased, but grateful that the Gaul had stepped in and protected his daughter. Godric found himself defending Alex as he explained what he knew of her thoughts and feelings that led to her foolish actions. His mind echoed unpleasantly with the heartbroken words the girl had sobbed into the phone, and he wished she had given him time to respond.

"I do not envy her the conversation her father is planning on having with her," Isabel muttered. "Will you try and contact her again? The poor thing was devastated, although that is not a good enough reason for the rude tone she took with you." Isabel paused and looked worriedly at the seemingly impassive Sheriff. "You do know she didn't mean it, right? There is no way that that girl hates you, she was just upset and teenagers are not known for their emotional levelheadedness."

Godric calmly gazed at his Second. "Do not worry so, Theron will take care of the situation and unless Alex somehow falls into more trouble I doubt she will be able to contact the nest again. It is safer for her to keep her distance, you know this." Reluctantly he added, "Perhaps it is better for her to be angry if it will force her to keep her distance."

Isabel huffed and glared at her stubborn Sheriff. She had wanted to talk to Alex, to make sure she was well after her stressful night. The poor girl practically cried out for female guidance.

Although her Sheriff's anger had been a welcome respite from his apathy, she frowned at how temporary the change had been. While Stan was unconcerned with Godric's slow decent into isolated apathy, Isabel found herself becoming more worried for the deceptively young looking vampire. In the last few years she had introduced him to beautiful humans, vampires, and even other Supernaturals, yet none garnered his interest and only caused him to further withdraw. It didn't help that most feared even being in the same room as him. He was coldly polite, but always distant, and she helplessly watched him slip further and further away. Not even Eric's phone calls aroused more than a modicum of emotional response. The only person who did, was Alex.

Isabel bowed and left the office, her thoughts in a whirl. Was it foolish of Isabel to hope that, for her Sheriff's sake, the girl would need help again … and soon?

* * *

Godric moved reluctantly to the pond at the center of his private garden. The delicate scent of the night-blooming flowers perfumed the air, and he automatically stopped breathing as had become his habit. No matter the centuries that past he would always associate this scent with the amusing child who did not fear him.

He frowned and idly plucked a small purple bud as he contemplated the child's heartbroken words. What had she meant that it was all for him? What had taken a year, and did she truly hate him? Perhaps it was kharma for his monstrous past, and an indication from the very gods that he would never find absolution for his sins. Such dark thoughts were coming more frequently with each passing year and he had even begun to debate the wisdom of meeting the sun. Perhaps … perhaps he would do so after Alex turned eighteen and found safety with her fated vampire mate.

He had truly wished to speak with her, but Theron had given him grave news that several of the Greek vampire's businesses had received increased interest. The true reason that they were leaving Rio so quickly was for just that reason, and Godric refused to in any way endanger Alex. As much as it pained him, her emotional well-being mattered less than her physical one.

Even if it meant that she believed he was indifferent.

His head jerked up, and he turned to his left as he felt the shift in the air that preceded teleportation. Seconds later Dr. Ludwig stood before him and he stared impassively at the small woman.

"I trust everything was well with Alex?" he asked calmly. His inner monster coiled under his skin as he waited for the answer.

Dr. Ludwig rolled her eyes and grimace. "The girl is fine, except for several small cuts and bruises. She is currently having a rather one-sided conversation with her father."

He had not even realized how worried he had been until the knot inside his chest relaxed. "Good," he murmured, and ran his hands lightly over the barely open flower cupped in his palms.

He blinked when a small object rather clumsily wrapped in pink Happy Birthday paper was shoved into his view.

"Here," the doctor said gruffly. "I already told the girl I'm not a package delivery service, but she was so insistent that it was easier to agree so that she would calm down."

Godric barely acknowledged the doctor, his attention caught by the Sheriff badge nestled in ripped paper that he held in his hands. He was profoundly touched. When was the last time someone bothered to give him a true gift? Something chosen with care and for a reason, and not for the amount of money the object cost. The little star was obviously handmade, and his lips quirked at its slightly lopsided appearance.

His surprised inhale at the unexpected present made a very soft purr rumble in his chest. He could smell her blood, but even more faintly he could smell her tears. Suddenly her upset words made more sense. _This_ was why she had snuck out even though she knew it was wrong. She must have somehow learned his address, and planned to send it to him. He knew the price of international shipping, even for items this small, and a gentle warmth spread through his chest when he realized just how hard she had worked for this one gift.

It mattered more to him then the most expensive and rare items given to curry his favor.

A small piece of paper fluttered to the ground and his sharp eyesight picked out the hurriedly scribbled _'I'm sorry. Forgive me?'_. Tension dissipated, and he suddenly felt … lighter.

Doctor Ludwig rolled her eyes and huffed at the frozen vampire. "Great. So, now that I've done my good deed for the decade by playing FedEx I'll be—"

"I would ask you to take her something in return."

The doctor's jaw snapped closed, and she stared. "I already told you that I'm not a delivery service!"

"I will pay ten times your normal consultation fee for this consideration," he said, and flicked his eyes up to the small doctor.

The power behind their grey gaze was enough to even take her aback, and she reluctantly nodded. "Fine. But this is the only time, and you will pay my bill in full by tomorrow. What am I taking?"

Godric frowned in thought. A flickering from further in the garden caught his attention, and he smiled.

* * *

Alex walked dejectedly back into her room, her ears still ringing from the very firm scolding her father had given her. The two bags her father allowed her to bring from one nest to another were packed, and the furniture was already covered in sheets, but she didn't let that stop her from falling backwards onto her covered bed.

Her dad had made her tell the story three times, and each time he seemed to grow angrier. She was grounded for six months, her allowance cut off for the same period of time, and she would be spending quality _bonding _time with her brothers in the training room. Her feet already hurt from all the running she would be doing. Before she had been banished back to her bedroom, she had asked if he knew what the Shadow Monster had been, and the grim expression on her dad's face made it apparent that the conversation was closed.

A slight buzzing noise caught her attention, and she opened her eyes and craned her neck. Her exhaustion fell away as she twisted onto her stomach and loudly giggled. Quickly, she slapped a hand over her mouth and looked at the door for a moment before she relaxed. She rested her chin on her hands and kicked her legs back and forth as she watched the dozen fireflies flicker in the large glass jar. Dr. Ludwig must have brought it to back to her while she was getting yelled at by her dad, and had left it for her to find. Only one person would give her this, and her eyes filled when she saw the single word written in beautiful cursive on the lid of the jar.

_Always._

The awful burning ache in her chest became its normal dull throb, and she knew that everything would be okay.

Her dad called for her as it was time to leave for their next home. Quickly she scrambled off the bed and grabbed the jar as she ran to the door that led to the tiny outdoor patio. With shaking fingers she unscrewed the top and watched as the fireflies lit into the night air.

With a bounce in her step she carefully set the jar down and slide the lid into her pocket so her fingers could trace the word over and over during her nest's journey to their new home.

* * *

_Elsewhere_

Deep in a dark forest, a bright power stood at the outer edge of the Oak's shadow, and with great satisfaction watched as the the moonflower's roots dove deeper into the ground to intertwine further with the Oak's. Soon nothing, and no amount of dark intent, would be able to separate the two. Such things took time, though, even for fated mates. Time that they would not have had without the power's interference in the order of the child's life, but much rested upon the Gaul's future survival. Things were shifting, however, as those with the power to tip the balance of fate in the opposite direction slowly became aware of the changing future. Only time would tell if the bonds the two mates grew between them would be strong enough to withstand the storm.

With nary a ripple to draw unwanted attention to this area on The Plain of Souls, the being disappeared. It would not do for any to discover that this quiet bonding was the nexus that had the potential to change everything.

Slowly, the vines twined further around the Oak and inched ever upwards, even as several more buds began to bloom.


	10. Chapter 10A

**A/N: Sorry for the delay. I had surgery on my hand, then had complications so typing has been slooooow going. Things are getting better now, and Part B will be up shortly. Unfortunately, I had to cut this chapter into several parts as it was at 30K words and still growing. Sorry, while I may love reading super long chapters as much as the next girl, that is just way too long to post! On the other hand, most of Parts 2 and 3 have been written, so it shouldn****'****t take long at all to finish polishing them up!**

**As always the disclaimer of non-ownership goes here. Thank you to everyone who reads and/or reviews my story, and for those who have been my sounding board for the last few months! You ladies know who you are, and it****'****s much appreciated! **

**Now, on with the show. Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 10A**

_Two years later __…_

Alex sleepily rolled over and nuzzled into her pillow as she half-listened to her brother Gabriel argue with their dad in the living room. The last three days there had been an odd tension in the nest, and she had tried her best to keep out from underfoot. Irritated brothers meant even more physical training, and she felt they were already pushing her.

"Maker, this is preposterous! If we go, there is no guarantee that things will work as you hope! What if—"

"Brother," Josiah soothed. "We can't keep this up. Every time they only find us faster, and it is getting harder to hide as technology expands and the world grows ever smaller. This is the perfect opportunity for us to flush out our enemy."

"And if you're wrong and the unthinkable happens?" Gabriel demanded. "What good will your certainty be then?"

Alex tried to focus on their words, but she was so exhausted from her classes that she could barely keep her eyes open. The last thing she heard as sleep dragged her back down was her father's calm voice.

"Be still, my sons. I understand your concerns, but all of the major bloodlines have been ordered to specific meeting areas, and our nest has been commanded to go to the North American site. We must go, and I will not leave my daughter alone. She has matured much in the last two years, but I shudder to think of what trouble she would still get into as a 15 year old. The city may not survive one of her 'adventures' without one of us here."

"But—!" Gabriel growled, and she wondered what had made him so angry that he was willing to defy their father.

"Silence. We will use this to our advantage. Besides, we will not be the only ones there to offer protection. All will be well."

* * *

_The United States of America  
__Chicago, IL_

The limousine pulled up to the Waldorf Astoria in Chicago, and even though she had stayed in some pretty swank places while traveling with her family, Alex had to admit that the entrance was visually stunning. She especially liked the lit fountain and cobblestone courtyard.

She turned to her dad. "So ... I'm still confused." Had been confused, in fact, for the last two weeks since her nest had been ordered to Chicago for the upcoming Great Revelation. The city was easily large enough to support the increased vampire population, although she had rolled her eyes at Gabriel's irritated complaining about being forced to drink mostly bagged blood before the ball. No killing was allowed for the next four nights, on orders of The Council.

"About what, daughter?" her dad asked as he looked up from his iPad. Teaching him how to use it had been an ... interesting ... experience. At least he had finally figured out how to stop shattering the screen each time he wanted to surf the net. She wished she could have a phone, but her family didn't trust her to not call a certain vampire Sheriff. It had been two years since the 'Halloween Episode,' as Bennet called it, and her dad still watched her like a hawk.

"Well, I thought we had to keep moving because people were trying to kill me," she said bluntly. Being in the Supernatural world meant that she had seen a lot of death, and heard a lot of death threats, no matter how much her family had tried to shield her.

"Yes, but this is the best chance to try and flush out our enemies when we can manipulate the situation to our advantage. You will be safe, daughter."

Gabriel did not even bother to look up from where he was going over plans with Bennett. "That means none of your 'adventures,' Alex. No back-talking, no escape attempts, and no sarcastic quips or inappropriately timed high-jinx. You need to do what you're told, or you'll put all of us in danger. We will be too busy trying to ferret out information to babysit you."

Alex's mouth dropped open in outrage. "I'm 15 years old, and I don't need a babysitter! It's been two years since I had an 'escape attempt,' and I learned my lesson!"

Josiah, always the peacemaker, placed a hand on her shoulder. "Yes, but we must concentrate on finding out what we can, and you will not be able to travel about unescorted here. Remember the little incident in Malaysia? There will be many powerful vampires and bloodlines here, Alex, and you must remember to use The Code."

Alex blushed at the reminder of her little 'accident,' and gnawed on her bottom lip. "We can still have Christmas though, right?" Her hopeful eyes looked between her dad and her three brothers. Her heart sank at their silence.

"Don't you think you're getting a little old for Christmas, Alex?" her dad asked with a sigh.

"No."

Her dad shook his head. "Unfortunately the ball happens on Christmas night, so we will not be able to do our normal 'celebration.' This is an important meeting for several reasons Alex, not the least of which we will learn how they plan on handling The Great Reveal. In comparison, missing Christmas this once is inconsequential."

At her hurt look he added, "There will be other years, Alex."

She didn't answer, but just looked out the window at the city. Everyone had been super tense and in a bad mood for days, and she had been looking forward to the normalcy of their nest's holiday traditions. Now it was brushed aside, like it didn't matter at all.

This entire weekend was going to just suck, she just knew it.

* * *

Alex scowled and leaned against the side of the elevator as she and Josiah took it to the top of the hotel.

Trying his best to ignore his sister, Josiah wondered if the ability to loudly sulk while actually saying nothing at all was a trait particular to all human teenagers. Well, and their brother Bennett. Alex was a good girl, but at fifteen it was becoming increasingly difficult to keep her hidden. She was too curious for her own good, and keeping her alive as she had her various exploits was practically a full-time job for a team of highly trained experts.

Sometimes he actually pitied her future mate.

"We are so strict because we care for you, little sister," he said softly.

Her shoulders slumped as she looked up at her favorite brother. "It's Christmas," she whispered. "It's the only time Gabriel and I really do anything together. It's our thing, and now he's just decided that its too dangerous. He doesn't even talk to me anymore," she grumbled. "Only order me around like I'm some … some … poodle."

Josiah sighed. Their eldest brother gave the word 'prickly' a new meaning, but he knew Gabriel greatly valued his position as her brother. "Alex—"

Alex shook her head. "No, Josiah. What's the point of keeping me safe, of keeping our nest safe, if everything that makes us a family is stripped away?"

Josiah stared. Sometimes he forgot that she was quickly approaching human adulthood. By vampire standards she would still be considered a child, and would for several hundred more years. Yet then she would say something like this, and he would realize that the toddler he had held through her nightmares and childish fear was growing up. For a moment he looked at her not as a brother, but as a male, and to his horror realized his little sister was a very attractive young woman.

He would kill any man who ever tried to touch her. He considered it good fortune that human males were put off by her Fated Mate aura, and vampires knew better than to play with her. That only left hundreds of other Supernaturals to maim if they so much as _looked_ at his baby sister in 'that way'. He glared at her green knit sweater, jeans, and knee high boots, and for the first time thought that they clung way too inappropriately to her body. He would have to have words with the women their father paid to buy her clothes. Surely they could find something more concealing. Like a parka.

Alex frowned down at her boot clad feet and rubbed at her chest as she ignored, with the skill of practice, her brother's sudden muttering about maiming and killing. She felt ... weird. Expectant. Like something was about to happen, something ... something ...

She sighed, and tried to push the feeling away. She ached for home, wanted to be there so bad she could almost taste it. To walk the hallways, and sit by the pond on a cool night. It was only three more years until she was eighteen, and if her family thought she was going to stay put after that then they were nuts. The moment she was legally considered an adult in The United States, she was buying the first ticket from wherever-the-hell-they-were to Dallas, Texas and knocking on her vampire's door. She really hoped he didn't mind her moving in.

Well, even if Gabriel wouldn't join her for their normal traditions, she hoped she could convince their Dayman to accompany her to the mall. She had worked really hard and saved her money, and this year she had a lot of plans on what she was going to do with it.

The doors to the elevator finally opened and Alex blinked at the short hallway with three doors.

"Um, I thought we were going to the penthouse?" she asked.

Josiah smiled, his eyes twinkled mischievously. He had the sneaking suspicion that his sister would soon forget her disappointment.r,

"The Waldorf is owned by vampires, Alex. When it was determined that The Great Revelation was to occur, they decided to do massive renovations amongst all of their hotels. This one has been fitted with sunlight resistant glass, windowless rooms, and the top floors were made into interconnected suites. This allows larger bloodlines, as well as a monarch's revenue, to be easily accessible to each other."

Alex nodded slowly, even as more questions bubbled within her.

Josiah quickly said, "The middle room is the shared kitchen, dining, and sitting room."

Alex's brows furrowed in confusion as her brother waived the keycard at the door, punched in what had to be a forty digit long numerical code, followed by a fingerprint and retinal scan. Apparently the Waldorf took personal security to a whole new level.

"Who are we sharing a nesting territory with then?" she asked as the door swung open.

Josiah just smiled, and gestured for her to go in first.

Alex swallowed nervously when the electric current under her skin felt like it ramped up. She realized with surprise that the feeling in her chest seemed to oddly pulse, and wondered at the difference. She walked into the beautifully decorated grey and black living room, and a movement to her left caught her attention.

For a moment she only stared at the vaguely familiar female vampire. The woman's dark hair was twisted into an elegant chignon, and her black and cream power suit fit her perfectly. Alex nervously smoothed down her simple green tunic sweater, and wished she knew how to dress like that. Her family was awesome, but they were _males, _and not exactly eager to acknowledge that she was growing up.

"Hello, Alex," Isabel said, and smiled softly at the girl's confusion. It was understandable as it had been a long time, by human standards, since they had last met. Her eyes ran over the lovely teen, and she approved of the pretty outfit that set off the her dark red hair and fair skin. It was refreshing that, compared to today's youth, she was not coated with scent and face paint, and that she did not dress like a trollop. To often she noticed young human females erred on the side of trashy, rather than the sexy or sophisticated look they were obviously intending. Alex was petite, perhaps 5'3, and while she still retained some of the awkwardness and softness of youth, it was clear she was no longer truly a child.

Alex's eyes widened in pure shock, and her head whipped around to stare at Josiah, before she looked back at the female vampire. "M-Ms. Isabel?"

The woman laughed lightly, and smiled fondly at the startled girl. "I think you can just call me Isabel now. It is good to see you again."

Alex grinned and stepped forward, just as her brother gave a rather fake and obvious cough that stopped her short. Right. Hugging vampires, even those she had known as a kid, went against The Code. She really despised politics, but obediently gave the correct nod of a younger member of a bloodline to an elder from an allied nest.

"Greetings, Isabel, First Lieutenant of the Dallas Ne—" Alex froze, and her mind went blank. Dallas. She was from the _Dallas_ nest! _His_ nest, and if Isabel was here that meant … that meant … Her throat constricted, and her heart beat so fast it felt like it was going to explode.

Joy.

Hope.

_Fear._

She didn't know what to do, what to say! What if he was here? Did he want to see her? Would he still call her 'Firefly'? Would he still want to talk to her? She hadn't had time to prepare herself or … or … oh god. Had she brushed her teeth after eating on the plane? What if she stuttered when she saw him, or fell on her face and looked like an idiot? Her stomach sank and horror filled her. What … what if he reacted to her like humans did, and ignored her?

The very idea made her want to throw up. "No," she whispered. She rubbed at the fluttering in her chest, and looked hopefully around the richly appointed common area. The minimalist grey and white decor and low couches did little to hide the fact that Godric had not magically appeared in the room while she had been freaking out.

Hurt shot through her. He wasn't here.

She gasped as the feeling in her chest grew painful and, for the first time, _burned_. She pressed a hand to her sternum as her heart began to beat faster and faster. The feeling twisted and tugged and it kind of hurt, but it was nothing compared to the thought that Godric knew she was in Chicago, but didn't want to see her.

Isabel frowned when the teen turned alarmingly pale, and her heartbeat quickened. The fear in Alex's scent made her fangs _snick_ down, and she fought the instincts that told her to bundle the Fated Mate into a safe room, and lock the door. She had thought the teen would be happy, but now she worried at how the Sheriff would take the girl's obvious terror. Why was she so afraid? Did she think Godric would hurt her after all the times he had saved her life?

"Alex?" Isabel asked, only to gasp when she met the teen's tormented eyes. Her distressed scent permeated the room, and Isabel struggled to clear her mind and control her instincts. Isabel felt horrible, and wondered how she was going to break the bad news to Alex.

Alex didn't know what to do, and her mind spun hectically. She was afraid to ask, afraid of what would happen if the answer was 'no.' "Isabel … did … did …" She couldn't choke the words out past the heavy feeling lodged in her throat, and her worry increased at Isabel's uncomfortable expression. If he was in the attached suite, wouldn't he already have shown himself?

This mattered, Alex realized. Over the years she had forced herself to try and forget how much she missed him, to not let her family know how much she truly longed to return to Dallas. How she often woke from oddly unfocused dreams to find dried tear tracks on her cheeks, and a painful ache in her chest. How she craved the warm and safe feeling she still remembered, and how when she thought of 'home' it was always in Dallas. As much as she loved her own nest, it was Godric's that was home to her. It was silly, she had only met him for a few weeks as a little girl, but something about him called to her, and did not allow her to forget him no matter how many years passed.

A jolt surged through her, and she shivered. "I-I … I-I can't … I-I don't want …" she stuttered breathlessly. Was this what a panic attack felt like? Her fear grew, and the pull turned brutal. She could hear her brother and Isabel demanding to know what was wrong, but she couldn't force herself to answer.

She wasn't ready yet.

The odd thought that moved through her head as her shoulders curled forward around the pounding ache. She wasn't strong enough yet to stand within whatever this was, to survive whatever it pulled her towards.

Just as suddenly as it began, the pull went slack. For some reason, she could almost hear what sounded like the soft, discordant notes of a yearning song echo in her mind. She strained to make out the muffled tune, and it felt like it was trying to tell her something … something so important that it would change everything …

Power flooded the room, cold and heavy except where it wrapped snuggly around her in a warm embrace.

"Little one." The lightly accented words reached deep within her, and soothed the loneliness she had carried like a heavy burden for ten long years. Carried it for so long, that she almost forgot how it was to not feel it. Slowly, her eyes opened and brown eyes met grey as the world around her went still and silent.

It was him.

Mr. Sheriff Sir.

_Godric. _

* * *

Godric stood quietly in the elevator, his hands clasped behind him as they rose towards the top floors. He was displeased about having to leave Dallas in the questionably competent hands of Stan, but he would cause less damage there then he would here amongst the kings, queens, and the Heads of the oldest bloodlines currently residing within the North American continent.

Isabel was quickly tapping on her cell phone, and Godric ignored her, lost in his thoughts. He was the second oldest vampire at the gathering, and just walking into the hotel had almost caused a mass stampede of baby vampires practically flinging themselves out of his way. The older vampires at least kept some decorum, but even they strictly followed The Code so as to not cause offense. Not even Russell Edgington had as dark a reputation, but if he had, the King of Mississippi would never have been gifted with his Fated Mate. Godric tried not to feel envious, resigned to the fact that he would pay for his crimes for whatever years remained in his 'eternal' life.

When the elevator doors opened and they moved down the hallway to their designated rooms, Godric raised a single eyebrow at the three-door multi-suite. "Isabel,this seems somewhat extensive for only my progeny, grand progeny and ourselves.

Isabel glanced down as her phone buzzed and saw the incoming message. Good, they had arrived and now all she had to do was get her stubborn Sheriff into their half of the double suite before they made their way upstairs. She had a feeling that her extremely private Sheriff would not enjoy this reunion to occur under the public eye.

"Yes, well, perhaps this would be better discussed inside, Sheriff?" she asked hopefully as his eyes looked piercingly at her. The weight of their inspection made her freeze, and she didn't relax until he turned his disturbingly old-seeming eyes away from her. She was just thankful that he trusted her enough to open the door and enter their temporary nest.

Both ignored the sleekly modern sitting room and the wall of sun-proof windows that looked out upon the Chicago cityscape. Once the door closed with a click, the deceptively young looking Sheriff peered at her with a raised eyebrow. "Explain, underling."

Isabel took an unnecessary breath, perhaps she should have thought this part out a little more before springing this surprise on her Sheriff. "Sheriff—" Her words trailed off as her phone buzzed in her hand, and her shoulders slumped in relief.

Godric's eyes flicked down to the madly vibrating phone, and then again met hers. She flinched when power swelled in the room. This was not good, she had been so excited that she had forgotten how much he really did not appreciate surprises.

Especially surprises in territories outside of his own control.

"Isabel, you seem remarkably attached to your mobile device this eve, and in fact, for the last month. Is there something you would like to share with me, First Lieutenant?"

Isabel flinched at the coldly polite tone, and marveled weakly at how her Sheriff was able to make his soft and gentle sounding words seem ominous.

She was saved from answering when they heard the door open in the suite on the other side of the common room that connected the two sleeping areas. She breathed in deeply, and wanted to purr at the wonderful scent that crept through the rooms. Alex. Although her scent had changed from the crisp and clean one of a child and taken on the muskier tone of maturity, Isabel could still recognize it. It was an interesting and unique scent, but not one that Isabel could name.

She cast a glance towards her Sheriff, and frowned at the emotionless look on his face. If she did not know him as well as she did, she would have thought he felt nothing. His very stillness, however, told her that whatever else he was, Godric was not indifferent.

"Surprise!" she said brightly. She knew this would cheer her Sheriff up, and patted herself on the back for the fantastic idea. Stan had told her it was a mistake, but what did that wannabe cowboy know? "I thought that—"

"What have you done?"

The soft, barely audible words took Isabel by surprise. Her Sheriff was angry, deeply angry she realized with a gulp, she realized when she met his coldly furious gaze.

"Why have you brought her here?" he demanded.

"I … I thought you would enjoy seeing her again. I've missed her and I thought … that . . ." she trailed off, and bared her throat submissively. "I apologize, Sheriff."

Godric struggled to control his anger at his Second. He had not wanted to see Alex again, convinced that the child would be better off away from the shadow his reputation cast. Besides, once she mated he knew her vampire would not wish her to be connected to one such as he. It was better for her to keep her distance … better for both of them.

"Sheriff … I'm sorry you are unsatisfied with the situation, but she's here and you two are bound to run into each other. Maybe you could at least say hello to her?"

He would not let himself see her, no matter how much he wished to. "No."

"But … how do I explain this to her?"

Godric locked his guilt away. "Tell her I am busy with important work and do not have time for her, and then see about changing our accommodations."

Isabel's heart broke, since she had a very good idea on what Alex's response would be. She wanted to argue, but the command in her Sheriff's words could not be ignored, and she bowed and left for the shared common room.

Just one deep breath, he guiltily thought. He would allow himself just one, maybe two, more breaths of her lovely scent. To know that she was safe and undoubtedly happy with her family.

He took another deep and slow breath, his eyes closed to better concentrate on every nuance. Her scent had grown and changed, and it now reminded him of the winter flowers that had once bloomed on the rocky shores of the sea near his village. Sweet and delicately musky with a hint of the wild ocean air caught within their petals, it made his internal monster shift restlessly under his iron control. Yet beneath it all, submerged within her natural scent was the dark, velvety tones of a Fated Mate.

His control wavered, and he took one more breath, a strange ache in his chest while he determinedly ignored their conversation. Altogether it was a one of the most exquisite personal scents he had ever experienced and it made him, who did not need to breathe, breathless. To his shock he felt his gums ache, and his need to feed flare. It had only been three weeks since he last tasted bagged blood, and he should not need more for at least another two.

He was so distracted that the sudden rise of Alex's heartbeat caught him off guard. His head shot up and he stared at the closed door that, to most vampires, would completely soundproof the room. His great age, however, let him both hear and smell Alex's rising fear and distress. He was unable to not listen, and pain flooded him when she seemed afraid to see him.

Disgust.

Self-hatred.

_Hurt. _

The emotions felt bitter on his tongue, and he realized just how much it had meant to him that this precious girl did not fear him. He had thought that his deeds on her behalf would count in his favor, but her reaction was only what he deserved. Godric raised a hand and rubbed at the painful ache in his chest as he fought his need to go and comfort her.

He did not want to see her flinch from him in fear.

With a soft growl of irritation, he walked quickly back and forth across the now too-small room. Why was Isabel not soothing her? Alex had always reacted best to a soft tone and a firm pulse of power, but neither his Lieutenant nor the girl's brother were adequately tending to her distress. Could they not see what she needed? He had thought Isabel cared for the child!

His agitation grew as he struggled with his decision to remain aloof, but when Alex's panic reached a crescendo, he was through the door before he even realized he had made a decision.

"Little one," he said as he immediately settled his power around her like a thick blanket. She was safe, would always be safe with him, and he would make sure she knew she need not fear him. Slowly, her eyes fluttered open, and deep brown eyes set in a surprisingly adult face met grey, and everything went still.

It was her.

Firefly.

_Alex_.

* * *

Alex trembled as the lightly accented, quiet words reached the deep loneliness and hurt she had felt for years. He was here! Really here in front of her and looking at her and … and … She let out a strangled sob even as she was unable to tear her tearful gaze away from his. She was completely overwhelmed, unable to deal with the strength of her emotions as they battered her.

She wanted to run away. She wanted to run to him. She wanted to throw something at him for leaving her alone for ten years. She wanted to ask him if she was still his Firefly.

Unable to understand what it was she so desperately needed, she shook in place, her arms wrapped tightly around her stomach. It was too much, and she needed … she needed …

Those grey eyes she had adored even as a little girl became dark and distant. "Perhaps this meeting was not a good idea. I apologize for causing you distress, Alexandra."

_Pain._

Her Mr. Sheriff Sir, her Godric, was hurt … by her. No. She would never let him be hurt, never ever, _ever_. She would rain hellfire and brimstone down on anyone who even tried!

Panic seized her as he broke their connection and turned away, and it felt like the cruelest rejection in the world. Like he was taking something precious away from her that she needed more than air. The feeling in her chest _tore,_ and she choked back a pained noise when it actually hurt.

"No!" she shouted. Her choice, the only choice she could have ever truly made, was decided in an instant when she threw herself after him in a frantic leap.

With vampire reflexes, Godric twisted and caught her headlong flight with arms of steel, but hands of softest velvet. Immediately, she clung to him, arms curled firmly around his waist.

Stiffly, obviously unused to such behavior, his arms wrapped lightly around her as she burrowed further into his chest. He was just the right height to snuggle into, and he smelled _amazing_.

"Godric ... Godric ... Godric ..." her hoarse mantra was barely a puff of air that trembled badly with emotion. Yet as much as his arms soothed her, she needed more.

Without thought she did something that not even her father allowed, for all that he loved her like his own blood. It was something so utterly forbidden outside of a vampire's direct bloodline that to attempt it was grounds for the True Death. Unable to resist, compelled by urges she couldn't refuse, Alex lifted her face from his shoulder, turned, and nestled into his throat with a relieved sigh.

Yes.

_There._

It wasn't enough.

She was thirsting for something, and it felt like she had been starving from the want of it for years, barely surviving, and only just now starting to realize what it was she needed. She pressed even closer, her face tucked under his jaw as she took a shuddering breath. This close to him even her human nose could smell his wonderful scent of oak, warmth and safety.

"Mr. Sheriff Sir," she murmured, and happily rubbed her nose against his cool skin. "I missed you." The vulnerable words were whispered softly into the safety of his neck. The strong arms that cradled her so gently tightened uncomfortably for a moment, before they relaxed and a hand rose to move soothingly over her braided hair.

"Godric, I missed you so much. Did … did you miss me too?"

She gasped, and her fists clenched in the back of his shirt when she felt a cold nose run from her ear to her collarbone, and the painful clawing in her chest grew a tiny bit quieter. Vaguely she was aware that her brother was spluttering something behind her, but nothing mattered but soothing the ache she had lived with for years.

Godric didn't say anything, but she felt him give a slight nod and, hidden in the safe hollow of his throat, her lips curled into a smile. This felt like a secret. _Their_ secret. She liked the idea that she meant enough to him, that he cared enough about her for them to share secrets.

There was a strange vibration, as if something shifted and aligned into place, and she sank into the feeling.

_Bliss._

Minutes, years, eons passed before she became aware of anything other than the vampire who held her snuggly against his surprisingly firm body. The harsh, aching maw of need was finally quieted, and she blinked as if waking up from a deep sleep. Slowly she became aware that she was horribly wrinkling a powerful Sheriff, was actually still plastered against him with her fists clenched into the back of his shirt.

Oh. My. Gods.

Horror and deep embarrassment filled her. Where was a sink hole when a poor teenage girl needed one? She had thrown herself at him like some … some … hussy, stalker fangirl!

Alex felt her cheeks burn at the realization that Josiah and Isabel were _right behind her_. That they had seen her have a meltdown, and practically attack Godric with a leaping hug! Granted he had hugged her back, at least she thought she remembered him hugging her back, but the memories from the last few minutes were oddly foggy. What if he hadn't hugged her back?

A shy smile crossed her lips. What if he had?

Her stomach flipped, and she distractedly tried to smooth the wrinkled linen under her fingers as she worried about what she had done. She had forgotten The Code, the very rules her family had spent years teaching her. Was Godric angry with her? Was Josiah? Vampires were particular about their necks, and typically only one's Child was allowed the privilege of being so close. Nervously, she nuzzled her flushed face further into the blessedly cool skin, and wondered if she could actually die from embarrassment.

The linen under her fingers felt really good, and she absentmindedly began to stroke the flat of her hand over it, deep in thought. Why could nothing between them ever happen like she planned? It really sucked, and was seriously cramping her style.

She nodded firmly, and took another deep and soothing breath of oak and comfort. She really loved this scent. Maybe she could find a candle that smelled like it? It was a little too guy-like to wear as a perfume, but maybe she could find a body mist? She shook her head and rolled her eyes. No way would Bennett not tease her if she started walking around smelling like the Dallas Sheriff because of body spray!

Okay, pep talk time! She could smooth this over, and her dad had always said the key to any good plan was to list out every step. First, she needed to apologize and then try and remember that Godric probably didn't want her clinging to him like some vampire-obsessed monkey.

She frowned, puzzled at the vague feeling that she was forgetting something really important as she again nuzzled her flushed forehead into the cool skin against hers. Oh well, it would come to her eventually.

Okay, so, secondly she needed to …

The soft chuckle that rumbled under her ear broke her concentration, and Alex slowly tipped her head back until her gaze met amused grey.

She blinked, realization slowly dawning.

Oh, no!

Her eyes widened. This could not be happening to her! She was yelling at herself for doing her best octopus impersonation on an innocent vampire Sheriff, breaking about a million vampire laws … and had just realized _she hadn__'__t let go of him! _Had just been nuzzling him like some sort of feline!

"Alex, are you well?" Godric chuckled as he shook off the strangely blurred feelings from the last few minutes. He felt better than he had in a long time, and he was highly amused at the girl he held securely in his arms. He wondered if she realized she had been mumbling out loud about 'attacking innocent Sheriff's with hugs like a deranged flying monkey' and 'not going to get out of being grounded until she was ninety, and in dentures'. To his irritation, Alex seemed to suddenly realize that she was still hugging him, but he refused to relinquish his hold. His gaze slid appreciatively over her flushed face. Why was she suddenly so upset?

"I ... I forgot The Code ... your neck ... and I …your scent …" Alex babbled. Godric's gentle look made her voice trail off, and she once again got lost in his pretty eyes and the feeling of his arms around her.

Her eyes trailed slowly over his face, becoming reacquainted with the angles and curves that had faded in her mind. She still remembered the morning she woke and realized she could no longer recall what he looked like, and how it was the first time she had ever hated being mortal. She had even tried to find a photograph of him in her dad's office. The fallout from that still made her wince, since she had been grounded for 'snooping' for a month when she had refused to tell her dad what she had been up to.

"S-sorry," she said shyly. She peeped up at him again, suddenly nervous at just how gorgeous he was. He was all pale skin, dark hair that her fingers itched to pet, and a really interesting mouth. For the first time she wondered what a particular vampire's fangs looked like.

She bet they were stunning.

Her flush deepened, and she went cross-eyed as she tried to focus on the calloused finger gently touching her suddenly dry mouth. His soft chuckle made her eyes snap back to his, and the look in them made her stomach flip in a totally different way. She hadn't ever felt like this before … but she kind of liked it.

Well, besides the humiliation part of the evening, anyway. That part totally sucked, and she flushed an even darker shade of red. Was it possible for a human to die from all the blood rushing to her face?

"Calm yourself," Godric soothed. For a moment his stare was sharp and searching as he took a deep breath, and then gently guided her face back into his neck. When she went limp and boneless against him, he swallowed the pleased purr that wanted to escape.

"Sheriff?" Josiah asked, too softly for mortal ears.

Godric's calm gaze took in Isabel and Josiah's perplexed expressions as he answered in kind, careful to not upset the precious girl whose scent was finally calm and serene. "All is well, Child of Theron, there is no insult taken."

The implied command to cease the conversation was clear, but Alex was his sister, and Josiah had a responsibility to look after her. Even though he was now convinced that she must have a death wish. How was he supposed to explain to his bloodline that Alex had literally just _cuddled_ the most feared vampire in America?

"You allowed her to scent your _throat __… __and you scented her back!__" _He had known his sister was fond of the Ancient, but such an emotional response was … unexpected. She was still plastered against the Dallas Sheriff, and looked fully prepared to make herself utterly at home. He had expected her to be happy, but not to break the major edicts of The Code that they had painstakingly taught her! She had always been rather tactile, hugging the bloodline and their Dayman, but Godric was neither of those.

Godric coolly eyed the younger vampire, but had to admire the boy's inner strength to continue to question him. His friend had chosen well with this progeny, although he did not appreciate how strong the boy's scent was on Alex.

"She is a Fated Mate, and was so emotional that I could smell her through a closed door in the other suite. Would you have had her so overcome that her scent would draw in nearby vampires? There is to be no blood spilled at this convention, on order of The Council."

"But … how did you know it would calm her?" Isabel asked. She wasn't sure what she had been expecting to happen, but this reaction was not it.

Godric looked at her in bemusement at the obvious answer. "She reacted similarly as a youngling when my Child and I rescued her from the Weres. She has commented on my scent before, and it calmed her then as it does now. She is just an innocent child, Isabel. Do not make this more than what it is."

The matter closed, he turned his attention back to the girl he cradled so carefully in his arms. When was the last time he had ever been so relaxed? Was this what it was to feel happy?

Isabel watched when her Sheriff seemed to go into a type of downtime, his hand slowly stroking across the teen's titan colored hair. She had a feeling that Godric, for all his wisdom, was not really prepared to deal with the fact that Alex was no longer a child.

The next few days were going to be interesting.

* * *

Alex slowly came back to awareness and muttered a complaint when the gentle hand moving over her hair stopped. Slowly, she rolled her head sidewise to rest on Godric's shoulder, smiling contentedly.

"Hi," she whispered shyly.

"Hello," he replied with an amused quirk to his lips. "Are you well now, little one?"

"Mmhm," she hummed, and took in another deep breath as she searched for the perfect spot on his neck. Oak trees, campfires, and something spicy that was just Godric. He was sort of like her personal candle, she decided. The light in the darkness and loneliness that she so often felt, even among her nest.

The teasing tug on her braid had her giggling. "Hey, what was that for?"

"Do you not also wish to greet Eric, and meet his progeny? I feel them approaching the hotel now."

"I'm good, thanks." She took another breath, and the feeling in her chest thrummed. Yes, this spot just above his collarbone smelled the most like him, and it was _hers_.

"Alexandra!" Both Isabel and Josiah had the same scandalized tone, and Alex rolled her eyes. Ugh, they were seriously interrupting her scent-wallowing. Reluctantly, she peeled herself away from Godric, but quickly slipped her hand into his. She still felt off centered, and holding his hand made her feel better. The gentle squeeze made her think that he felt the same way, and it was another secret between them.

"Remember your training, Alex," her brother chastised.

She made a face, but relaxed when Godric squeezed her hand again. She really liked the way it felt with his larger, cool hand wrapped around hers. What was the point of following The Code considering she had already bent the rules into pretzels? It seemed silly, but then again, she thought that about a lot of what her family considered 'important'.

"Alex," Josiah warned, and she huffed and looked up at Godric. He wasn't a tall man, but then again, she wasn't particularly tall herself, although she held out hope for growing another inch and reaching at least 5'4. Again her gaze seemed to be pulled towards his mouth, and she tried not to blush. Gods above, how had she not realized as a little kid how gorgeous he was? Then again, her younger self seemed convinced he walked around in a cape and a flaming sword killing monsters left and right.

"Alex!"

She shot a glance over at her glowering brother, and stood up straight. She really wanted to impress Isabel and Godric and show them she wasn't the kid that she used to be … especially since she already acted like an idiot with what she would now have to call 'The Hugging Incident'. Privately, of course. No need to give Bennett more ammunition to tease her with.

"Greetings, Sheriff Godric of Area Nine, vassal to the Kingdom of Texas and allied with the Makhaira bloodline." Midway through she almost got distracted again by his pretty eyes, but she soldiered on and thought she pulled everything off with dignity and grace. Ha! She would like to see even a century-old vampire do as well as she just did! She didn't even forget anything this time, and she preened under Godric's gaze.

Josiah rolled his eyes when his sister not only kept ahold of the Ancient's hand during the formal greeting, but started to lightly swing it back and forth midway through. She looked so pleased with herself that he suspected she wasn't even aware of the highly improper action. He heard Isabel quietly snicker, but he didn't relax until he saw the fondly amused look the boy-vampire bestowed upon his adopted sibling.

"Good enough, I suppose," he grumbled and gave his own nod and greeting to their allies. He still planned on having a rather firm conversation with his baby sister about appropriate behavior towards the Dallas Sheriff. Their nests would be sharing adjoining territories for the next week, but she needed to know that there were still boundaries.

"You did that very well," Godric complimented the beaming teen. Her hand felt very warm tucked within his own, and he could feel her heart beating through the delicate skin, its rhythm oddly soothing.

When the door to the common room opened, Godric turned to greet the arrival of his bloodline and he absentmindedly tucked her hand into the curve of his elbow, unaware of the reaction his romantic-seeming gesture had on the teenage girl.

* * *

Alex awoke cocooned in the silky, red duvet on what had to be the world's most comfortable bed. With a happy sigh she kicked the covers off and threaded her fingers behind her head, a silly grin on her face.

He had tucked her hand into his arm like a courtier would for his lady way back in the day. Like she had read about in Gabriel's romance novels that he didn't know she, er, _borrowed_. She liked how it had made her feel, all nervous and excited like butterflies were zooming about in her stomach, but cared for too. Maybe he didn't see her like some little girl?

Full of giddy hope and nerves, Alex flipped over and smothered her giggles into her pillow. She had been so worried that she would feel as awkward and out-of-step with Godric like she did with human guys, and it was really nice how … included … she felt around him. Like he actually saw her, and liked talking to her. Even though her own nest sometimes still overlooked her human needs, he had apparently sensed her tiredness, and guided her towards one of the sofas. She must have fallen asleep listening to the two nests talk, her hand still tucked into his, and she really, really hoped she hadn't drooled. Or snored! She also had a vague memory of being coaxed into changing into her pajamas by Isabel, and really hoped she hadn't babbled something stupid.

She sat up in the heavenly bed and irritably shoved her hair behind her shoulders. "Stupid hair," she muttered. She really needed food and coffee before she tried to tackle The Beast, as she called her crazy-thick hair. With a grumble she staggered to her feet, still irritated at Josiah since he had tattled on her to their father as soon as Theron had walked through the door. With an evil smirk, she reckoned it had been far to long since she had pranked any of her brothers. Pranking was good for them, it kept them on their toes and was practically survival training for them!

She nodded to herself. Yep, that was her story and she was sticking to it.

"Besides, it's not like I just went and hugged just any old vampire! It was _Godric_. He's practically like one of our nest mates!" She often liked to talk problems out loud, and it wasn't like any of the nest would be disturbed. She could sing 'I'm a Little Teacup' and swing on the chandeliers like a monkey, and they wouldn't wake up.

Not that she had ever tried that, of course. Silly delicate and priceless chandeliers that shattered into a gazillion pieces before she could even have a good swing. She had barely touched it!

She frowned, she really didn't like the idea of the surprisingly cute and young looking Sheriff being considered one of her brothers. No, she decided as she thought about the handsome Sheriff with the pretty eyes and lean body, he definitely was _not _one of her brothers!

Her thoughts wandered as she absentmindedly tugged her well worn grey leather jacket over her blue, vampire cupcake tank-top and pajama shorts, and went in search of food. It was still two hours until her dad would rise, but Brian and George would wander in with her breakfast soon. Her aching muscles practically wept with gratitude that yesterday had been the last combat class for the next week, but ever since she almost burned down their nest in Cape Town trying to make toast, it was decided that Brian would cook her breakfast every morning.

"Seriously, it's so unfair!" she grumbled to herself. "It had only been the _one_ time. Okay … there was that time in Singapore … so maybe twice …?" She rolled her eyes and wandered slowly to the door. Cooking was hard!

She made a beeline into the two suite's shared common room, her mind fixated on a hot cup of miracle elixir. She shivered and burrowed further into her jacket as the cool air made her skin goose bump.

She was stretched on her tip toes trying to reach a cup, when a loud snarl made her turn and she yelped when cold fingers wrapped firmly around her bare calf. How was it that his cool hands could still feel so warm on her skin? Flustered, she stared down at the kneeling vampire and fought the sudden desire to feel if his hair was as soft as it looked.

"Godric, what the —!"

"Who hurt you?" he fiercely demanded, and when his eyes flicked up to meet her own she froze at their feral expression, and the sudden heavy press of power. She shivered, but it wasn't from fear as she struggled to understand what was going on.

"W-what?"

* * *

Godric rose from his death sleep, surprised at how excited he was for the coming evening. How long had it been since he had relished his nightly rising instead of greeting it as another boring night?

With a sigh, he vamp sped from the bed and was showered, dried, and dressed in one of his typical linen outfits in minutes. Although he would never admit it, the hours before the rest of his nest woke were often boring and isolating. Granted he could look over his various businesses, but often he found himself at loose ends, trapped in the shuttered house and uninterested in most past times he had already experienced countless times before.

He situated himself on one of the sleek, modern couches in the shared common room and opened up his laptop to look over his various business interests. He would never admit to the several glances he gave the closed door to the other suite, or the fact that he hoped Alex would rise soon so they could talk. A half-hour later he looked up when the door to the other suite banged open, and his lips quirked as Alex practically ran to the kitchen.

For a moment his eyes trailed over her loose hair that fell in dark red waves midway down her back. He had always liked red hair, especially the darker shades, and it was the first time he had ever seen hers unbound. When she went up on tiptoe to reach a shelf in the cabinet, his eyes slipped down to her bare legs, her skin so fair that his keen eyesight could see the faintest blue hint of his favorite artery as it trailed down to her right knee. His eyes narrowed, and he tilted his head slightly as she turned, and he saw the outline of a dark blue bruise on her lower leg. It was an odd shape, almost as if …

_Rage_.

Godric vamp sped, and was on his knees before Alex an instant later, his hands delicately sweeping over the bruised flesh as he demanded to know who had left the hand-shaped bruise on her skin.

"W-what?" Alex stuttered, before she looked down. "Oh, um, George —"

At that moment the door to the suite opened and a single human male entered. "Hey Al, it's George. Are you decent? Brian will be up in a minu—ACK!"

One minute George had been looking down at his iPhone with a bowl of fruit in his hand, and the next both items went flying through the air as he was shoved up against the wall with a snarling, black eyed, demon boy inches from his throat. He went for the silver spray at his belt, but the growling vampire easily hit his arm and the entire appendage immediately went limp and numb. Every hair on his body stood straight up, and he could barely breath as the Ancient vampire pressed the full force of his power against him.

"You dare!" Godric snarled.

"Godric!" Alex gasped and scrambled to the enraged vampire. "Stop!" She ignored the look George sent her, and tugged on the back of Godric's shirt, to no effect. When she tried to step closer, he let out a fierce growl and moved to stay between her and the Dayman. Off balanced, she desperately cartwheeled her arms for balance before she fell backwards onto the floor with a thump, and a surprised gasp.

"Explain why there is a hand-shaped bruise on Alexandra's leg. Now."

George's blue eyes widened at the realization at what had set the Sheriff off. "I was offered the job as Theron's Dayman not just because of my organizational skills, but also because I am an ex-Green Beret in the human military. Alex has physical training four times a week, and the last session involved ground fighting."

Godric growled, and George hurriedly continued. "I'm gay, Sheriff, and have no interest in either children or females. I'm happily partnered with Brian, and have been for ten years!"

Godric was still deep within the blood rage when the smell of blood, of Alex's blood, caught his attention and pulled him back to full awareness with a snap. Quickly, he looked over his shoulder and saw Alex on the floor, a broken bowl and scattered fruit beside her, and her hand cradled to her chest.

"Can you please put our Dayman down now, Godric?" Alex asked tightly as she got back to her feet. "As I was trying to tell you, he's not a creep!"

Guilt filled him, and he immediately dropped the gasping human, and had Alex's small hand cradled lightly between his own before she could blink. The slice was shallow, and barely a few drops of her precious blood had beaded to mar her pale skin. Still, he had hurt her.

"I am sorry, Alex."

The sudden blooming ache in her chest made her breath catch as she looked up into utterly remorseful grey eyes. Her own softened, and to her watching Dayman's surprise, she reached out her uninjured hand, gently laid it over one of Godric's, and soothingly stroked her fingers back and forth over his.

"It's okay," she said gently. Her heart swelled in her chest, and the oddly soft emotion … was this what tenderness felt like? She spoke, never stopping the soft petting or looked away from Godric.

"George, are you okay?" she asked.

Godric kept his hands cupped around hers, but turned sightly to face his innocent victim, just one more human in the long list of those he had hurt. At least this one wasn't dead, but he had worked so hard to distance himself from the monster he had been, only to find that the seeds were still within.

"I apologize for my assumption. Do you require medical attention at this time?"

"No, Sheriff. Theron gives me a few drops of his blood every six months so I am faster and stronger than a normal human to better protect Alex. Look, the bruises are already healing." George quickly cleaned up his shattered bowl of fruit, but kept an interested eye on his charge. Rarely did the girl let anyone outside of the nest touch her, and yet she stood practically holding hands with one scary-ass vampire. Interesting.

_Very_ interesting.

Godric nodded. "I will discuss my error with Theron, and appropriate recompense will be made on your behalf."

George knew enough of vampire culture to know that to dismiss such a gesture would be an insult to not only the vampire in front of him, but also to his boss. "Yes sir," he turned to Alex. "Al …" he trailed off, his attention caught by the sudden disapproval radiating off the vampire who had almost snapped him like a twig. He smothered a smile when he saw the two still holding hands, and couldn't wait to tell Brian about their charge's rather obvious crush on the good-looking Sheriff.

"Alex," he began again, and had to bite back back a laugh when the tense vampire gave a small nod. "Brian will be up momentarily with your breakfast, as well as several snacks for the evening. Make sure you eat them all, a sensible meal at midnight, and be back in time to eat here before you sleep."

Alex rolled her eyes and huffed. "George, I haven't forgotten to eat in years, you don't have to keep reminding me!"

Godric's eyes narrowed as he led Alex over to the sink to wash away the few drops of blood. "You forget to eat?" She was still growing, and from his observation and vague memories from his human life, skipping meals could greatly hurt her development.

George began to clear up the dropped fruit and shook his head. He would let the vampire deal with this, and quickly left with a lame excuse about going to see what was keeping Brian with her breakfast.

Godric's voice was stern. "Child?"

She was mesmerized as she watched him gently pat her hand on a soft towel, but then she stiffened with irritation. She didn't like him referring to her as a kid … even if she was one compared to him.

"When I was a teenager I fainted during one of my training sessions with my brothers when I overlooked lunch. They freaked out, and George had to call in Dr. Ludwig who told them they needed to feed me more. Dad had googled how much a teenage human female should eat, but hadn't taken into account how active I am. If you think I'm bad in the kitchen, you don't ever want to smell what Bennett does to chicken! So dad hired Brian who is a nutritionist, chef, and dietician to teach me how to cook and to make 'healthy human meals for my consumption.' Apparently," she pouted, "he didn't believe me when I told him Nutella and Chocolate were good for me."

Godric realized he still held her hand in his. Reluctantly he dropped it and he stepped away, his eyes scanning over her body as he took a deep breath to check her health. Distantly he realized he had been taking measured breaths ever since she had emerged from her bedchamber, an action normally reserved for dealing with humans for business.

Her grey jacket caught his attention, and his lips quirked as he held out a chair at the dining room table for her. He had wondered what had happened to his favorite leather coat. "Nice jacket."

The teasing grin on his lips made her want to melt into a puddle under the table. "Um, yeah … um …" Her mind went blank and she struggled to recall any of the six languages she could speak, and her face felt like it was glowing. "Uh …I-I, um … Isabel! Isabel put it in with my stuff."

Godric smiled at how flustered she was, his cynical heart charmed by her sweet reaction. Her embarrassment at being caught was obvious, but he hoped that she had derived comfort from the jacket like she had as a child after her abduction.

"I had wondered where it had gone, but figured it fell victim to one of Isabel's culls of my closet."

Alex's fingers twisted nervously in her lap and it felt like her stomach had a million butterflies frantically flapping their wings. "Godric?" she asked hesitantly. "My brothers are busy today, and I'm not allowed to go anywhere without a guard. Soooo, what are you up to tonight?"

* * *

Alex crossed her arms over her chest and stomped through the slushy snow as fast as she could. Her angry breath came out in quick puffs of frost in the air, and she was so irritated that she was surprised steam wasn't coming from her ears. The quiet vampire that strolled placidly next to her dressed in the jeans and sweater she had bullied him into buying, hands tucked behind his back and a small smile on his face, only made her more irate.

How could he still look so adorable when all she wanted to do was smack him in the face with the nearest snowball?

"I could have handled it!"

Godric calm expression never changed. "And you did, and very splendidly, I might add. I merely sped the process along as I doubted you wished to waste more time in that store, instead of purchasing more gifts for the Angel Tree."

She whirled on him in the middle of the busy sidewalk, and poked a finger into his chest. Both were unaware of the amusement from the pedestrians who gave them a wide birth, and Alex jabbed him again as she made herself ignore how his dark green sweater stretched over his firm his chest.

"I didn't need you waiving around your black American Express Centurion Card! She was wrong, and I had the perfect argument to prove it to her!"

Gently, he laid his hand over the still jabbing finger and pressed her palm to his chest. "Alex, what is really vexing you?"

Alex frowned and looked anywhere but at the vampire just a few inches in front of her. There was no way she was telling him that when that … that … _hussy_ had fawned all over him it had made her green with envy. Stupid sales lady with her perfect hair and pretty shoes and perky boobs!

"It's nothing," she muttered. Why couldn't _she_ have boobs like that?

He smiled at her decidedly pouty expression, so unlike the practiced coyness of the saleswoman who had smelled of lust, pungent coconut-lime shampoo, and drugs. No, he vastly preferred Alex's lovely, natural scent and honest emotions.

When she had first told him about the Angel Tree, where an individual could choose a disadvantaged child and provide gifts for them, he had been … proud of her. Something he had never felt for any besides his bloodline. That pride had only grown when he learned that last year her father had given her a small startup fee for her to buy into the stock market, and that she had saved hard all year long for this one trip. He had thought his grandchild knew how to shop, but Alex, armed with a book of store coupons and sale fliers had approached the expedition like a well planned battle. The sheer amount of items she had managed to amass for the two children on her limited budget had been rather astounding.

Alex fidgeted and shifted back and forth on her tired feet. "Godric, can we get something to eat?"

Brought out of his thoughts, Godric tucked her hand into his arm. "Do you enjoy Italian food? I smell some sort of restaurant a few streets over."

Preening at the jealous looks several girls threw her, she nodded vigorously. "I love pasta. Will the smell be okay? Gabriel hates it, but it doesn't bother Bennett or Josiah or my dad."

"No, little one," Godric said as he ushered her easily through the door into the candlelit bistro. "I have become desensitized to such things in the last century."

The host looked up, but his smile became strained when he approached them, and he kept his eyes off of Alex. "Table for two?" he asked, as if he hoped they would say no.

Alex sighed and looked away. She had been so focused on shopping that she hadn't paid any attention to how humans were around her … but she couldn't ignore it now. She startled at the arm that pulled her close, and leaned gratefully into Godric's cool side as a wave of confidence moved through her.

Godric's eyes met the hosts', and added a touch of glamour, "A booth, preferably at the back of the restaurant." The man's eyes glazed over before he quickly led them to a lonely booth away from the other few customers.

Alex looked curiously around as they followed their guide to their table. Suddenly, every chick-flick movie Gabriel had ever forced her to sit through flew through her mind. Nice tablecloths … candlelight … soft music … small tables perfect for an intimate chat …

She blushed, and clenched her fingers in her jeans so she wouldn't reach up and desperately smooth her hair. Was this a date? Did she want it to be a date? She had asked him shopping, which wasn't a date, but he was the one who suggested food. Dinner at a nice restaurant happened a lot in the movies, right? Granted, he was a vampire and she wasn't so great at the human thing, but even she knew that this was a romantic restaurant!

Okay, she decided as she desperately tried to calm her racing heart. She would just play it super cool and see how Godric acted. If he sat on the same side of the table as her, then it had to be a date, right? If he didn't, then he was just making sure she wouldn't starve. She didn't know which she wanted … she was so drawn to him, but that feeling of before, of not being ready yet, persisted.

When they got to the table, she held her breath as Godric motioned for her to slide into the booth first, and she grinned when he slid in next to her. Ready enough or not, it made her stomach flutter to realize that he was as drawn to her as she was to him.

Exuberance turned to panic, and she struggled to think of something to talk about. She wanted to get to know him so much, to discover why his eyes seemed so very sad, and what he thought about life and the universe. She just needed to be cool … she just needed to be suave … she just really needed to not throw up on him from the butterflies in her stomach!

The cold hand that gently took hers made her jump, and she gratefully tangled her fingers with his. The soothing motion of his thumb over the back of her knuckles made the tight ball of nerves relax, and she smiled up at him.

"Are you well?" Godric asked quietly. He was displeased that the host had made Alex feel so uncomfortable that she had withdrawn into herself. He had seen how humans had shifted away from her while shopping, and had been relieved that she was mostly oblivious. Was this the treatment she had told him about over the phone in Rio?

Something on the edges of his perception caught his attention, and Godric turned slightly away from Alex as he narrowed his concentration. Luckily, he had placed her on the inside of the booth, with his body shielding hers from any sort of outside attack. Anyone who wanted her would have to get through him first, and her relieved smile when he had sat next to her had pleasure blooming within him that he could give her some sense of safety.

Alex fiddled with the silverware on the table and glanced nervously up at Godric. He was quiet, his focus obviously turned inwards. Was she so boring that he had gone into Downtime like Bennett did when she made him sit through episodes of _iZombie_ on tv? Was she really that bad at being on a date? It's not like she had a lot of experience with them!

Desperately, she blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "So … um … Godric, what have you been up to the last ten years?"

When whatever he had sensed had moved on, Godric turned his attention back to his fidgety table companion. "Being the Sheriff of Dallas."

She waited a beat, then frowned. "Well, yeah. But what else have you done? Traveled anywhere? Negotiated any crazy alliances for world domination? Watched episodes of _The Walking Dead_? Taken up bowling?"

Bowling? Godric laughed, the act rather freeing, and waited until the extremely nervous waiter had taken Alex's order before answering. "No, I had enough of bowling during the late 1950s when Eric decided we needed to join a bowling team."

Alex had been taking a sip of water, but almost choked at the idea of the tall Viking decked out in a bowling shirt, with short pants, white socks and black shoes. "D-did you two have the slicked back hair with the front poofy bit like in the movie _Grease_?" she asked, and couldn't hide the amused quaver in her voice.

They stared at each other, eyes dancing in mirth, before they both started laughing.

Alex wiped hysterical tears from her cheeks and politely thanked the waiter when he slid her ravioli in front of her. She was so happy, she didn't even care that he practically tripped over himself to get away from their table.

"What about you, little one?" Godric asked.

She really wished he would stop calling her that, but she didn't want to ruin their time together. "Oh, we traveled all over the place and dad had me take classes in each country, and I had tutors too for math and stuff. I learned how to ballroom dance in St. Petersburg, went snorkeling off the coast of Australia, and Josiah even carried me to the top of Mt. Everest, although that ended up being a really bad idea because I got sick from the quick altitude changes. Dr. Ludwig was really unhappy about that! Oh, and I took art classes in each city we were in, which I adored." She hesitated for a moment. "Its where I made the badge for you. Did … did you like it?"

Alex wanted to go face forward into her ravioli to shut off her inane babbling so that he actually had a chance to say something. Perky-boob lady at the mall certainly seemed to know how to talk to guys, why was she so bad at it?

"Very much so. I count it as one of my most treasured possessions." Godric enjoyed listening to her recount her exploits, her obvious excitement so refreshing when compared to the fake ennui of many of the vampires in his Area. He liked sitting next to her like this, and he felt more at ease than he had in years. When had he turned into such a workaholic that all he had to share with her were the intrigues and minutiae of running his Area?

"What is your favorite art class?" he asked as he watched her eat with fascination. He was surprised at how much his inner monster preened that he was providing nourishment for her, was taking care of her in this small way. It wasn't exactly the same as if he had gone out and hunted for her, but it was as close as modern society in this country would allow.

Alex grew quiet, and she idly pushed around a lone ravioli in its sea of cooling marinara. "Can I tell you a secret?"

His chest grew warm at the thought. "On my honor, I will not break your trust."

Nervously, she reached into her messenger bag and withdrew a battered leather sketchbook. "I … I want to be a photographer. Not, you know, a portrait photographer. I want to take pictures that make people think, that show the world in another way than what they think it is." Fingers trembling, she flipped open the first page and handed the book to him. "I took a photography class in Amsterdam, and I loved it."

She watched as he flipped slowly through the photos she had pasted onto the pages of a book not even her dad knew about. It felt good to talk about it, to share this part of herself with Godric.

"These are very good, Firefly," he complimented as he looked closely at several pictures that showcased the life and culture in the various countries she had lived in. While rough and obviously untrained, she had managed to capture a certain something in them that caught and held the eye.

Pleasure bloomed in her chest, hot and bright and wonderful. "You like them? You're not just saying that to be nice? I mean," she paused and bit her lip. "I know you've probably seen some of the best pieces of art in the world, but—" The fingers that gently pressed against her lips made the breath catch in her throat.

Godric's words were firm and brooked no disagreement as he gazed deeply into her eyes. "While they may lack the polish of a fully trained artist, your pictures manage to capture something that many others strive to find after years of schooling. You have talent, Alex, and I believe that one day you will be a fantastic photographer with much to offer the world."

The moment stretched between them, and so intent where they on each other that neither realized when Godric's thumb rubbed lightly, soothingly over her lips before he dropped his hand back to his side.

A loud clatter from the busboy a few tables over broke the moment between them, and Godric looked down at the sketchbook and flipped another few pages. His brow furrowed as he looked at page after page of various types of thunderstorms.

"Alex?"

"Hm?" she hummed in response, so happy that her mind and heart were among the clouds. She felt like she was flying. Maybe she was actually pretty good at this dating thing?

"Why do you have so many pictures of thunderstorms?"

The question made her come back to earth with a thump faster than Icarus, and her face blushed bright and painfully red. There was telling him about her super secret desire to be a photographer, and then there was _this. _"Uh, because I … um … I … l-like them?"

Godric smirked, the gesture feeling odd from disuse. "Really?" he teased. "You seem a bit uncertain of that, Firefly." Irritably, he waived off the hovering waiter, now highly curious about what could bring that delightful flush back to her cheeks stronger than ever. He took a breath and almost purred from her heightened scent.

Alex clutched tightly at his hand between both of hers. "I … I was so upset when I had to leave Dallas. I really liked it there. It felt like home in a way no other place has. Then … then one day I woke up and couldn't remember what, um, Isabel or … or … Stan … or," she took a deep breath, "_you _looked like anymore. It hurt to realize my mortal memory had forgotten yo-, I mean, all of you."

"I … we missed you as well, Alex. Isabel replanted the entire garden to be full of the night blooming purple flowers you loved so much, and in the spring their scent permeates the entire neighborhood." He looked back down to the dozens of photos in the book, the storm clouds in different shades and taken at different times of night and day. The last picture in the book was circled and labeled 'Tibet' and showed clouds illuminated by a bolt of lightning. The black clouds were lightened to a translucent grey with the barest hint of blue at the edges of the bolt, and it looked strangely familiar.

"Do you see?" she whispered, too nervous to ask anything else. It had taken her eight months and hundreds of pictures to get one that was the right shade. Her brothers still thought she was a little nuts for how excited she would get whenever she would hear the distant rumble of thunder.

He glanced up at her. "I am afraid I do not, but it is a very pretty photograph."

She gnawed on her lip, but bravely met his eyes. "I couldn't remember your face anymore. I just woke up one day and it was gone. It was all gone, and it made me so sad. I couldn't bring up anything … except your eyes. I remembered how those always reminded me of a thunderstorm. I took hundreds of photos before we traveled to this temple in Tibet carved into the side of a mountain. It was summer, and the storm blew in and tore open the sky. I stood in the rain, hoping to take at least one picture that would work."

He stared at her, and she could see that past his suddenly blank facade he was deeply shocked. She swallowed, the noise loud in their quiet little corner. "A-are you going to say anything?"

Silence.

She flinched, and looked down at her plate. Was it possible to invent a time machine with leftover ravioli, a flickering tabletop candle, and just her humiliation? The quiet seemed to seep into everything, and she just hoped he wouldn't laugh at her. She felt exposed, and felt her lack of experience in these situations keenly.

He shifted next to her, stood up and her eyes burned as she watched from the corner of her eye as he walked away. This was worse than that time in St. Petersburg when no one would dance with her, worse than the time in Rio when those kids had played that mean prank on her. With trembling fingers she reached for her wallet to pull out some money, blinking tear filled eyes. She was the adopted daughter of the Makhaira bloodline, she reminded herself, and she would not shame her family.

Before she could find her wallet in the cavernous black hole that was her bag, Godric was sliding back into the booth next to her. She kept her back to him, unsure about what was going on, her entire body tense. Why had he come back?

"Miss, if you would turn around please?" asked an unknown voice.

Startled, she whirled, and stared at the older man dressed in a dark suit with a camera around his neck. The movement broke the film of tears, and a single one slipped down her cheek, only to be wiped away by a cool thumb that stroked lightly over her cheekbone to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.

Nibbling on her bottom lip, she gathered her courage and looked up to meet Godric's eyes … and melted.

Instead of the normal grey, his eyes had lightened to an almost crystalline color that took her breath away. "Godric?" she asked weakly.

He smiled at her confusion, the tenderness he felt an unexpected sweet ache in his chest. He had not thought until he returned to the table how she would interpret his abrupt departure. He despised her tears, he realized when he gently brushed away a second that rolled down her fair cheek, the warmth a tiny burn against his cool skin.

The bright flash of the bulb made them both jump. "Sorry young sir, but I could not resist. I think this photo a much better one than if you had posed."

With a shrug Godric paid the man, and they both watched as the polaroid slowly developed.

Alex laid her head on his shoulder. "I like it." The picture was sweet, she decided. The photographer had caught them in profile, with Godric's hand on her cheek and her smiling shyly up at him. They were slightly leaning towards each other, and Godric's more subdued outfit contrasted nicely against her vibrant purple and blue shirt.

She shot a playful look up at her silent vampire. "You look very pretty in it, Godric," she said with a teasing elbow nudge. With careful hands, she tucked the picture into her messenger bag.

Godric rolled his eyes, and for once gave into his deeply buried mischievousness. "Pretty, am I? I believe you called me a 'hottie' when you were a child."

If Alex had thought she had blushed before, it was nothing compared to the fiery miasma that burned across her cheeks now. "I did not!" she spluttered, before a vague memory of it weaseled its way to the front of her brain. "Oh gods above, I did," she moaned and put her head in her hands.

When her elbow accidentally hit her soda, which she had been pretending was a fancy mixed drink like she saw the really pretty woman sipping elegantly at a nearby table, it was only Godric's reflexes that saved her from wearing her Dr. Pepper.

The low, masculine laugh and soft brush of power made her feel even more clumsy and inexperienced. Oh gods, she really wished she had watched those flirting YouTube videos she had scoffed at just last week. Seriously, this looked a lot easier in movies and when she had spied on her brothers.

Finally, she managed to stutter, "Y-you shouldn't make fun of me. I was five and thought you were Prince Charming on a white horse."

Godric's laughter abruptly stopped and he looked away. "I am no Prince Charming, Alex. No knight-in-shining-armor to save young girls from their fates. I am the monster in the darkness that—" The unexpected jab into his side make Godric blink and raise a single eyebrow at the obviously irritated female.

"Don't you say such mean things about yourself!" Alex snarled as her eyes flashed with temper. "I didn't let those werewolves when I was a kid, and I'm not gonna take it from you either. I kicked them, and I can kick you too!"

Irritated beyond all measure, she didn't wait for Godric to move, but climbed over him to escape the booth, her messenger bag clutched to her side. The hand on her arm made her stop, but she was too angry to look at him.

"Where are you going?"

"The bathroom," she snapped. She needed a few minutes to get control over her temper. When he made a motion to rise, she turned and glared at him. "You're not invited."

Godric's eyes flickered to the dim hallway that curved out of sight and led to the human washrooms. "Child, you know you are being hunted, and it is not safe for you to leave my side."

Alex knew he was right, but the fact that he would still call her a 'child' after their touching moment with the polaroid turned her irritation with him to livid anger. And hurt. It felt like he had just stomped on her heart. Hadn't he felt what she had?

"What, do you think the toilet monsters are going to get me?" she asked sarcastically. "I'm 15, and I think I can survive a trip to the bathroom all by my very lonesome without a … a … _babysitter_," she hissed out as their waiter returned to their table with the bill.

With a large, fake smile that would have alerted her brothers to the fact that she was about to cause trouble, she acted like she didn't see the waiter behind her. "No, Godric. I'm not going to go into the men's restroom with you. What type of girl do you take me for?" Pretending like she didn't notice the waiter's frozen form, and ignoring the warning look in Godric's eyes, she quickly turned and walked down the hall. She knew Godric would not want to glamour the entire restaurant to forget anything untoward, and figured she would have at least a minute before he would come and find her since their waiter would undoubtedly keep a close eye on him.

Power wrapped around her, icy with disapproval but she shrugged it off with nary a thought. Control her would he? Ha! She didn't even care that he was angry, and that she was probably going to catch hell from her nest. She needed a moment to compose herself, and sometimes a girl had to do what a girl had to do. Besides, it's not like any vampire or Supernatural would dare hurt her with Godric's power pulsing about like a rabid disco ball!

As she walked the last few steps to the bathroom she pulled the polaroid picture out from her bag. Doubt shook her. Had she overreacted? Grudgingly she decided that maybe she had, just a teeny, tiny bit. She shivered, and wished she had brought her jacket with her. Why was it so cold back here? Okay, maybe she had over-reacted a lot.

The dirty hand clamped over her mouth took her by such surprise that she staggered, and it was all the opening needed to gag her and tug a cloth bag over her head. She felt the icy cold pierce her skin as she was dragged through the back fire exit. The pain of it was enough to shake off her shock as she started to struggle.

"Get'er feet! The man said we wont have long—" a man's voice said.

"Godric!" she tried to shout through the gag, as she desperately tried to kick away from whoever was trying to tie her feet and hands together. She had only an instant's warning, some instinct telling her to go limp.

A second, rough voice snarled, "Stop moving, you dirty bitc—!"

The man's words cut off with a gasping gurgle and thud, and she hit the ground with a muffled grunt. The second never had a chance to react before she heard a crunch, and the thunk of a second body hitting the ground at her feet.

It was odd, but without her sight all of her other senses were stronger. She could smell the garbage cans from what had to be a back alley, and feel the cold burn of wet snow through her clothes from where she laid on her side … and she could feel Godric's power crashing around her like angry waves. Well, she could hear him too, the low rumble of his growl making her feel safe and secure.

"Alexandra."

The hands that pulled her carefully to her feet were gentle. Reaction began to set in, and she started to shake from the cold and from residual fear. He had been right, and her stupidity had almost meant … it had almost meant …

Godric could feel her slight trembles, and he yanked off the offending bag from her head and released her hands and feet his fingers soft as they moved over the abraded skin. The gag shoved in her mouth made his anger skyrocket, and he snarled as he carefully pulled it out. The look in her eyes made his anger at her, and at the situation she had put herself in, start to fade.

"It's okay, Firefly," he whispered as he lifted his hands to cup her chin. The blood splattered across his fingers made him pause, and to his dismay he realized his fangs were still down and he could feel the blood dripping hotly down his chin. Disgusted, he waited for her to run screaming from him, to flinch from the proof of his monstrosity. He could feel his son coming, pulled to him by the force of his Maker's Command and fury. Hopefully Alex would allow Eric to attend to her while he disposed of the bodies. Although the idea of anyone, even his beloved son, soothing her made him deeply unhappy.

The small, warm hands the wrapped around his wrist and lightly pulled at him, pulled his attention from his dark thoughts.

"Alex?" he asked as the girl tugged him over to her discarded messenger bag and pulled out a plastic bottle of water and a purple piece of cloth that he sometimes saw humans her age tie around their heads.

She looked around, ignoring the two slumped bodies, and tugged her vampire over to a wooden box. Carefully she stepped up on it, satisfied that it raised her the few inches needed to put her at eye-level with him. Quickly she dampened her bandana and began to wipe at the blood dripping down his chin. She considered him her nestmate, and while she couldn't lick the blood from his skin like a vampire would, she could still thank him like one in the old ways.

Surprised, Godric stood there as she started to run the wet cloth over his chin. This … this was not what he had been expecting. Screams, maybe. Or perhaps for her to avoid him for the rest of the weekend. Warmth filled him as she gave thanks to him in the vampire way, as she quickly cleaned him of the blood spilled in her defense.

He wrapped his hand around her wrist, stilling her. "You are not afraid?" he asked while he carefully scented the air for deception. Much to his surprise her brown eyes were clear, her heartbeat steady, and her scent was calm.

"Never."

"Then you are foolish." The words were harsh, but had to be said.

She tugged her hand free from his and continued to wipe away the blood. "Don't be an idiot, Godric," she said, her exasperation clear when she rolled her eyes.

His lips quirked, amused at her audacity even here surrounded by the enemies he had slain in her defense. He could feel his son coming, the speed of his movements meaning that he was likely flying. There were no other Supernaturals within several miles of their position, and he allowed himself to relax.

With a sigh, he closed his eyes and enjoyed the moment. The feeling of the cloth moving over his chin, the delicate way she touched him, her scent telling him she was unhurt and calm … that everything was still right with his world … The purr started up deep in his chest, the low rumble soothing both of them.

"Thank you for saving me. I-I'm sorry I was such an idiot in the restaurant. You were right," she said quietly while she tenderly wiped the last of the blood from his chin before she started on his hands. His fangs were down, the tips of them denting his lower lip. She wished he would open his mouth so she could get a good look at them, but she felt too shy to ask. She was embarrassed about her behavior, and doubted that he would even want to go out with her again. Leave it to her to get almost kidnapped in the back of an Italian bistro and blow it.

Depressed, she looked down at his hands, the hands that had ripped her kidnappers apart, yet had lifted her with such careful strength. At least he still cared enough to save her. Slowly, certain he would pull away, she intertwined her left hand with his, and leaned forward to touch their foreheads together. Hope fluttered in her chest, the pulsing soft and wonderful when he allowed her touch. Maybe … maybe everything wasn't lost?

"I owe you my life," she whispered, "and the Makhaira Nest will stand behind my debt. Ask what you will of us, of me, and it is yours." Alex held her breath, unsure of exactly what she wanted him to ask of her. Would he ask for her blood? Did she want him to? Uncertainty and excitement rolled in her stomach as she waited for his response.

Hunger rippled through his belly, and the surprise of it made his eyes pop open as his purr stuttered to a stop. She did not know what she was offering, was as yet unaware of how sacred her blood was to his kind, and how only her future mate would be able to survive the tasting.

"Alex …" he trailed off, his eyes meeting hers. The moment hummed with tension. He was saved from answering, however, by the arrival of his son. He refused to admit how relieved he was, and took a step back from Alex, although he kept her hand in his. Purely for her own comfort, of course. She was not leaving his sight anytime soon, and they would be having a discussion about her actions in the restaurant.

"Father," his son said with some amusement as he took in the two dead humans. He was somewhat less amused at seeing his Maker and the Fated Mate holding hands.

"Eric, please dispose of the bodies. From the looks of them, they were vagrants so I doubt many questions will be asked."

"Were they glamoured? Too bad you killed both of them," Eric commented as he googled the best areas to drop two bodies around Chicago for the least number of questions to be asked if they were discovered.

Godric growled, angry at himself for allowing his emotions to overcome common sense. A vampire should not be ruled by his emotions, and he was old enough to know better.

Alex squeezed Godric's hand, and offered, "They talked about how a guy told them 'they wouldn't have long' when they were trying to drag me out of the alley."

Eric shared a frown with his Maker. "Whoever it is, is playing with us. No vampire would think two humans would ever succeed in taking her with you nearby."

Godric nodded grimly. "This was a warning. Foolish, since now we know for certain that whichever vampire it is, is most likely at the conference."

"Foolish or not, they did manage to get close enough. Where were you when they grabbed her?" Eric asked as he pocketed his phone.

Alex stiffened and looked down, deeply embarrassed.

Godric glanced over at Alex and paused for a moment. With a soft smile, he squeezed her hand. "She is 15 years old, Eric. I did not think she needed a babysitter to go to the washroom."

Alex's head shot up, and the grateful look she gave him made his chest warm. The soft rub of her thumb across his let him know just how much she appreciated his words. It was another secret they now shared between them.

Eric frowned as he looked between the two. The connection between them practically hummed, and he had never seen his Maker so tactile with one not of his bloodline.

Alex reluctantly tore her gaze away from Godric's. "They grabbed me outside of the bathroom. The emergency exit is further down, but I hadn't really been paying attention. I was looking down at …"

Her eyes widened and she spun around, looking frantically the muck and snow covered ground near her bag. With shaking hands, she pulled the polaroid out of the snow, and her lip trembled when she saw the dirt and snow had damaged it.

"It's all wet," she whispered. It was her only picture of them that she had, _and_ it was taken on their maybe-date, and it was _ruined_.

"Shh," Godric soothed and ran a hand down her hair. He ignored the incredulous look his son was giving him, and looked fondly down at the girl that continually managed to surprise him. "We can have another one done."

A tear slipped down her cheek. "Yeah, but it wont be the same."

His lips quirked, and he quickly wiped away the evidence of her distress. "You did not cry at almost getting kidnapped or when you saw the bodies of your attackers. Please do not cry now, Firefly." An idea occurred and his smile grew. "In fact, that is what I ask for saving your life and repaying whatever debt you think you owe me."

She giggled while she picked up her bag and slipped the ruined polaroid inside. "Promise we can have another done?"

Godric chuckled. "Yes, I promise." He pulled her close, and rested his chin on her head.

Eric watched them, for once perfectly fine with being overlooked. This could be a problem. Granted, no one thought Godric deserved a Fated Mate more than he, but even Eric could admit that with his Maker's background, it was unlikely the gods would so bless him. His Maker had spent a thousand years pissing off, or killing, his way through both the human and Supernatural population. No, his Maker had too many enemies amongst the gods of old to ever be intended for such a gift.

Eric decided that perhaps the less time spent alone between the two, the better. While it was plain that the girl was very fond of Godric, it was harder for Eric to pin down his Maker's feelings. He was obviously protective, and clearly doted on her, but Eric was unsure if it was anything other than the natural response of a vampire to a Fated Mate's scent. More than likely, his Maker was more attentive because the girl was the daughter of his oldest friend and an allied nest, and he was worrying over nothing.

Uneasy, Eric wondered how to bring up to Godric how their interactions would look to outsiders unfamiliar with their history. Fated Mates were not to be played with, in any capacity, upon threat of the True Death. Perhaps, Eric decided as he watched his Maker shrug out of his jacket and wrap it around the shivering human, it would just be best to make it impossible for the two to be alone together.

"Alex," he called out as the duo prepared to return to the hotel. Eric glared down at the dead vagrants, wishing that he could leave the bodies to some underling so that he could continue to observe his Maker.

"Yes?" Alex asked.

"My progeny has offered to go with you to the hotel spa and shopping area tomorrow night. She has mentioned that you would probably enjoy such an outing with other females." Or rather she would pretend to enjoy going with Alex to the spa once she was told about it, even if Eric had to threaten her shoe allowance. Again.

"R-really?" Alex asked with excitement. She had always wanted to try a 'spa day' but had never wanted to go alone. "Godric, do you think Isabel would want to go too?"

Although his Second's schedule was undeniably packed with meetings, he would make sure she would have several hours free to spend time with Alex, even if it meant _he_ had to go to all of them in her place.

"I'm sure she would love to," he replied. Her smile was as bright as the sun, and made the aggravation he would face tomorrow totally worth it.

"Wow, thanks!" She paused for a moment, and quickly did some mental arithmetic. "Um … is the spa expensive?" She looked down in embarrassment from having to ask such a question, but she had talked her dad into agreeing that while he could pay for 'dad stuff' like food and classes, she wanted to pay for any extra-curricular activities. It made her feel proud, and more like an adult and not like some little kid.

Godric shot a glance over at his progeny, and gave a slight nod. He would fund the trip, and gladly.

"Oh, it's complimentary when you stay in the double suites," Eric lied smoothly and made a mental note to tell his progeny about the lie.

"Huh, that's a pretty awesome perk." She shivered in Godric's jacket. "Can we go back now, it's freezing!"

As they walked away, Eric listened as the girl teased his Maker about once again being her 'knight-in-shining-armour.' From his Maker's unexpected amusement, it was obviously a private joke between the two.

Yes, he thought grimly as he flew the bodies to the outskirts of Chicago. It would be a good idea to keep them separated as much as possible over the next three days of the convention. The last thing any of them needed was for someone to accuse his Maker of any preposterous, and illegal, dalliances with the girl.

Besides, he doubted his 2000 year old Maker would even notice, or miss, the girl if she were busy elsewhere. His father was also little pale, so maybe he would introduce Godric to those lovely twin human donors he had seen advertised by the hotel. That should be enough to keep him occupied for several hours.

Eric turned back to the city and continued on his way, debating on perhaps sampling some donors himself. Alex was only one little human teenager, no matter how special her destiny. How difficult could it possibly be to keep her busy, and away from his Maker?


	11. Chapter 10B

**A/N: Sorry for the wait, but life interferes sometimes. As a reminder, Alex is 15 in this chapter and they are in Chicago, Illinois at a national vampire meeting discussing the upcoming Great Revelation. Enemies are afoot, and Alex and Godric are spending some quality time together. This is the second part of a 3-part chapter, and I hope it was worth the wait. As always, thank you to all my readers and reviewers! You all are very much appreciated. :o)**

**Oh, and no promises, but I'm thinking of writing two small outtakes mentioned in this chapter. Can anyone guess which two I'm talking about?**

**Second question: I write super long chapters, which is why it takes me forever to post. Do you like the longer ones, or would you prefer shorter chapters as that would probably mean more frequent postings? Its something I'm currently thinking about, and I'm curious at what my readers prefer.**

**A special thanks goes out to Melusine10, Kittyinaz and AmericanAndroid for being patient enough to help contain my wild flamingo plot bouncing. Ya'll rock! **

**The usual disclaimer of not owning the True Blood universe goes here, and now we're off to the story!**

* * *

**Chapter 10B**

_Chicago, Illinois _  
_The United States of America _

Godric stretched when he woke from his death sleep, the sheets silky smooth against his naked torso. When had he last taken time to appreciate the simple pleasures in life? He pondered it as he bathed, but when he went to grab one of his typical linen outfits, he saw the neatly folded jeans and t-shirts Alex had persuaded him to buy to better 'blend in with American culture'.

He didn't actually care about blending in, but he had to admit that while not as freeing as his normal attire, the apparel was surprisingly comfortable and … fun. He smiled to himself as he recalled the scolding Alex had given him for 'being a stick in the mud' when he had initially refused to try on more modern clothing. They had ended up making a deal that for every outfit she picked out for him, he got to also chose one for her to try as well. The results had been rather entertaining as the outfits got more and more outlandish. He still remembered her giggling surprise when he had willingly tried on the knee-length, plaid skirt she had teasingly offered him, but it was not dissimilar to the kilts he had worn living in the Scottish highlands in the 16th century. He had never really liked them, finding them a trifle too breezy for his tastes, but her amusement had him willingly model it for her.

His eyes twinkled when he remembered the horrified gasp of the sales woman, and how he had had to glamour the woman to stop her tirade on the 'disrespectful youth of today'. Humans were an odd bunch, so afraid of anything different and so attached to their gender norms. It made him concerned for how they would take both the upcoming Great Revelation and just how different vampire culture was in relation to any modern day human ones.

Remembering Alex's approving look, he pulled on a pair of the dark wash jeans she had seemed to particularly like, and a grey shirt that showed off his arm tattoos and clung slightly to his body. When he went to reach for his shoes, and he really wondered why had no one ever told him that converse sneakers were so comfortable, a soft sound caught his attention.

The noise came again, followed by the salty scent of human tears, and Godric panicked. He vamp sped into the other room, and to his horror saw Alex curled up under a blanket on the couch, holding an iPad with tears pouring down her pale face.

Godric opened his mouth to demand who he needed to kill, when he was hit with the dark, velvety scent of her blood. He stilled, and without meaning to he took a slow, deep breath as a low growl rumbled from deep within his chest and his eyes turned dark.

Alex was ignorant of anything going on around her, her attention fully focused on the videos she had been watching for the last hour while she waited for Godric to rise. Her lower back hurt, she had a headache, and now she was sobbing over last year's Christmas home movie. How could her family not want to celebrate Christmas anymore? Life sucked, and she couldn't believe she was a week early on her period. Stupid human hormones! George and Brian had taken one look at her, tossed her the blanket and medicine, and high-tailed it as far away from her as they could get. She wasn't _that _grouchy.

Okay, she sulked, so maybe she was. Plus the last time she had felt this bad during that 'special time' she had gotten so emotional over animal shelter videos that she that she had volunteered her entire nest's Saturday night to go to a local shelter and play with … er … _socialize_ the dogs. That hadn't turned out well, and Gabriel still refused to go back to Dublin after what happened. Thank the gods for vampire glamour, otherwise they would have all been on the front page of the newspaper. She was keeping the picture of Gabriel dropping fang at a rather aggressive Chihuahua named Mrs. Tibbles for a day when she needed to bribe her way out of some serious trouble.

She pouted at the memory since the entire thing hadn't been her fault, although she had been grounded for a month afterwards. Completely unaware of her surroundings as she contemplated The Chihuahua Incident, she shrieked when her heated blanket was violently ripped from her body.

"What the—?!" she demanded, and glared grumpily up at a feral-eyed Godric. "That's _my_ electric blanket, get your own," she grumbled and yelped when he gave a warning snarl, and reached down to run his hands over her arms and legs. He continued to growl, and while part of her found the bass rumble really, really interesting, the majority just wanted to bash him with a pillow.

Seriously, there was only room for one moody person on this couch, and she called dibs.

"I don't speak vampire growl, Godric," she huffed while she pulled her arm out of his hands.

"Where are you hurt?" he asked, his accent thickened with his anger and concern. She could feel his power laying heavily in the air around her, but she was so irritated that she didn't feel the normal calm it gave her.

She rolled her eyes with a loud sigh. Males were so weird sometimes, and vampire males were even more so. Disregarding any sort of rules from The Code, she grabbed his arm and yanked him down onto the couch. She smothered a grin at his abruptly aborted growl that made him sound like a startled jungle cat but she wanted to squeal it was so adorable. She had always liked cats, and Godric was really was graceful when he moved … not that she was watching him, of course.

Alex flushed, and wondered what his response would be if she pet his hair. Would he purr again for her? Her fingers itched to do it, but she couldn't get up the nerve. She knew most vampires weren't touchy-feely, but Godric never seemed to mind …

"I need a pillow," she said at his questioning look, fully aware that he let her arrange him to her liking on the couch. She cheerful ignored the fact that she was treating an Ancient like her favorite stuffed animal, pleased that they would finally be able to spend some quality time together.

Even if she wanted to kill the entire male species for never having to experience this curse.

Excitement made her already sore belly twist, and she struggled to hide the tremble in her fingers. When was the last time she had spent time with Godric with nobody else around? She had vague memories of chasing fireflies with him by their pond, so it must have been when she was a kid.

With a last push to his shoulder to get him to lean back, she plopped a small pillow on his lap for her achy head, and pulled the warm blanket up to her chin.

"This is nice," she said softly as she snuggled into position, and smiled when his rumble turned into the softest of purrs. She loved it when he purred, the sound and feeling of it reaching into the area in her chest that had hurt for so very long. For the first time in years, she felt quiet and at ease with herself and the world. Godric's scent wrapped around her and she was able to _finally_ relax when his hand came to rest gently on her shoulder. Her pain began to ease, and she assumed that the pills were finally kicking in. About time, too.

Godric stared down at the girl as she closed her eyes, her brow slightly furrowed in obvious discomfort. "Alex?"

She sighed and opened one eye to look up at him. "Godric, I'm not dying. I'm just cursed. Stupid period," she muttered.

If he could have blushed, he would have as he suddenly realized why the scent of her blood was different then normal. Menstruation was, contrary to mythology, not very interesting to vampires. In fact, unless a vampire was starving or badly injured, human females were safest during their moon time as their blood was less tasty and nourishing as a result of the hormone fluctuation and nutrient drain. He had been so worried that she had been hurt while he was asleep and unable to protect her that he had somehow overlooked a scent that newborns learned to identify in on the eve of their first rising. It was inexcusable for a vampire of his years and experience, and he was grateful that Eric had not seen his lapse in judgement.

Concern bloomed as he gently rubbed his thumb over the lines between her eyes. "Is it normally this painful? Should I call Dr. Ludwig? Do you need anything? Medicine, perhaps?"

She dug around in the plush couch and handed him the small box of pills. "George tossed this at me before he and Brian ran away." She frowned as she cuddled closer to his cool body, and buried her face in her pillow. "Cowards," she muttered.

Irritation at the human men flared in him as he started to stroke the hair back from her forehead, his hands cool against her warm scalp. He had noticed over the past few centuries that men often treated women's reproductive concerns as an almost taboo subject. Women had the potential to create life, and they should be treated with respect and care during their moon time, and not treated as if they were lepers. He kept his voice whisper soft as he spoke to her. "They left you alone while you are unwell?"

She snorted and rolled onto her back so she could look up at him, and shyly slipped one hand out of her blanket to twine with his. It felt like the closer she got to him, the better she felt, and she rolled her eyes at the ridiculous thought.

"I'm fine, Godric. I get a little emotional and temperamental on the first day, and I think they were worried I would start crying all over them again. Especially when they saw me watching Christmas videos," she said sadly.

Godric allowed himself to frown, the expression feeling unusual on his normally blank face. "I was under the belief that Christmas was a happy time for humans."

Alex sniffed and looked away sadly. "Yeah, well, it would be except Dad's never really been a fan of the human tradition. Bennett and Josiah always had fun with me, but this was the only time of year that Gabriel and I did our sibling bonding thing."

Godric allowed himself to gently brush her wayward locks away from her forehead, the hair soft against his palm. "Traditions are important," he agreed as he thought of some of his own that he held with his progeny. "They can keep a bloodline together, and create good memories to look back on in times of separation."

She sighed and glanced back down at the iPad as the video showed the huge christmas tree in the center of the cabin they had stayed in that year while living in Switzerland. She hit pause and enlarged the picture so Godric could see the tree and the paper ornaments that adorned it. "Gabriel would teach me a new origami shape every year. We would make dozens of them, and its pretty much the only time he isn't being an uptight jerk."

Tears filled her eyes as she looked up at Godric. Even though his face was set in a calm mask, she could see the sympathy he had for her in his pretty eyes. "I miss it, and even though I know that finding the vampire trying to hurt me is important … I … I still …" Her voice trailed off and she leaned gratefully into the hand Godric had raised to cup her cheek.

Her sorrow tugged at him, at the very heart he had thought long dead and turned to stone. "I know it is not the same, Firefly, but what if I went with you to pick out the perfect tree. Christmas Eve is in two days, but I am sure we could find something suitable." Although calm on the outside, he felt uncharacteristically nervous, even as his mind spun with ideas on possible gifts since he knew such an exchange of tokens to be tradition. It needed to be perfect, and to fit both her interests and her nomadic lifestyle.

For a moment he considered the small item he had worked on for the last two years, and which currently sat in the carefully hidden vault in his bedroom. He had made it only for her, for no other would ever wear such a gift from him. Yet while his instincts screamed to give her the object he already viewed as hers, regardless of whether or not she knew about it, his mind was still … unsure. His Firefly deserved so much more then to be tainted with his disgusting reputation, even if it would help keep her safe until her mating at eighteen.

"Really?!"

Alex's excited response and brilliant smile was as bright as the sun he had not seen in over 2000 years. Was this what happiness felt like? It had been so long since he had just existed, that the emotion felt odd.

"Yes, little one, we can go later tonight after your spa date. There will be a brief break in my meetings before midnight, so our outing will have to be quick."

Alex's smile faltered slightly. "Godric, my dad seemed pretty set on his decision. Wont he see us doing this as me challenging his authority as head of my nest?" While she had started to engage in what her dad referred to as 'teenage rebellion' she really didn't want to get grounded when she could be spending time with her vampire.

Godric grinned, and her heart gave a painful throb. He was so very beautiful, she realized as she carefully studied his features, even though she was becoming worried at how pale he was. His pretty eyes gleamed with mischief and he looked so happy that she wanted to fling her arms around him and laugh.

He wondered at the odd expression she had on her face as she stared at him, but children were often incomprehensible even to one as old as he. "Do not be concerned with Theron, as he has little say on how I choose to decorate my temporary nest. You will have your tree, little one," he promised.

She grinned but then winced at a particularly bad cramp even as she flopped back down on her pillow. While she was excited about their plans for Christmas tree hunting, she really could have done without him calling her 'little one'. She wasn't five, she mentally huffed with a sulky pout.

Godric stared down at the clearly miserable and suddenly grouchy girl currently using him as a pillow. He tried to recall anything about how modern female humans dealt with their reproductive cycle. He remembered a time in the 1980s when he had been on a subway in New York City, and heard several teenage females commenting about their craving for chocolate during their monthly time and how somehow 'the calories didn't count'.

He picked up the room service menu on the table next to the couch, and quickly scanned the entries for desserts. Death by Chocolate? Godric frowned in concern, why would the hotel offer something that could kill their guests? He had thought that chocolate was completely safe for humans to consume, but perhaps there were varieties that were poisonous unless prepared a certain way? He remembered learning of such a fish in Japan, and that foolish humans would tempt death by eagerly consuming the delicacy. He had once bitten a man coming from one such restaurant, and his blood had tasted foully rancid. The microscopic poison in the man's meal was obviously not enough to kill him, but even the small traces in his blood had caused Godric to completely avoid such hunting areas in the future. Besides, he didn't care how miserable Alex was, he would not trust her health to the questionable skills of a chef he had not thoroughly glamoured. He was relieved when he read the description he realized it was just another example of an odd human metaphor.

He shot a glance down at the pale teenager currently cuddled against his stomach, her scent thickened by the heat of the electric blanket. It was hot and thick and almost seemed to playfully wrap around his body and tease his senses. It was an unusual response to menses blood, yet it had to be because she was a Fated Mate. If one piece of cake could make her feel better, then two would definitely help cure her of her symptoms, he decided.

After he placed the order, he turned his attention back on his temporary nestmate. He loved watching her thick, red hair slide silkily through his fingers, and found that the motion calmed and relaxed him as well. Had he really been tense for so long?

"Your hair is beautiful."

Alex cracked open her eyelids. "I call it The Beast. I wanted to cut it all off last year, but Bennett downloaded an app on dad's iPad and it showed me what I would look like with a pixie cut." She shuddered, "It wasn't a good look. It made my face look like a round ball with some red fluff sticking up everywhere."

Godric smiled at her dramatics, and tucked a strand of her hair behind the gentle curve of her ear. "I think you would look lovely no matter what, but I must admit I am rather fond of your hair as it is." He paused and watched the light reflect off her tresses. "I've always liked red," he said softly, as if to himself.

She could feel her cheeks heat at his compliment, and she was tongue-tied on how to respond. Would he be upset if she told him she thought he was lovely too? Or should she call him handsome? She looked into his eyes, and found herself caught in his gaze as time seemed to stand still.

Old eyes. Ancient eyes.

She stared, unable to look away from his beautiful eyes. Eyes that had seen so very much, and yet were so very, very sad. How could anyone looking at him not see how alone he was? How gentle and compassionate he was underneath his vampire instincts and Sheriff facade?

He was hurting, had been for a long time, and she refused to look away from the endless depths of his gaze. How had no one seen the pain he carried within him? The loneliness? How had his children not sensed it within him? It was something she remembered knowing even as a little girl, although she hadn't fully understood what it meant. Even now she felt like she could only grasp the very edges of the feeling, and as she gazed up at him she was filled with longing. Her chest throbbed, the odd humming started up again, along with the vague knowing that she was not ready … not yet. That she was not yet strong enough to withstand the full force of what lay at Godric's heart. It was a silly thought, but she knew it to be true.

It felt like a knife to her own heart that she couldn't reach into the depths of his pain and sooth him. He had done so very much for her, and yet she was unable to return the favor. She desperately cast her mind over the, depressingly few, memories she had of him, trying to find something that would cheer him up. To let him know he was not alone. That she would never willingly leave him if he wanted her there beside him. She had given her promise to him all those years ago on the Ferris Wheel, and the day was soon approaching when she could once again ask him her question.

She wanted to help him, but how? She had an idea and twisted, and would have fallen off the couch if Godric hadn't wrapped a hand around her waist to steady her. She shivered, and swore she could feel the coolness of his skin even through the warmth of the heated blanket and the layers of clothes separating them. Victorious, she held up the remote control and turned on the huge flatscreen tv before she started to search for the channel she found earlier.

"Alex, what are you doing?" he finally asked.

She shot him an excited grin. "Found it!" she crowed, quickly hit play, and then settled down to lay her head on Godric's pillow covered lap.

He looked up at the soft sound of wind through the leaves, of the gentle movement of water, and at the nighttime hoot of an owl. A slow smile curled across his lips and warmth bloomed in his chest when he beheld the sight of a garden pond under the moonlight. It was remarkably similar to his own pond, and he remembered the times Alex would join him on 'their' bench.

He looked down into nervous brown eyes, and gently pulled a small, fidgeting hand away from unraveling the blanket hem. Without taking his eyes away from hers, he laid the softest of kisses on the inside of her wrist in heartfelt thanks.

Alex's eyes widened and her breath caught in her throat. It was the most romantic moment she had ever experienced in her entire life, and the place in her chest pulsed hotly. It was part of The Code, a way to give deep and heartfelt thanks, but at the same time the way he looked at her made her heart tremble.

The knock on the door interrupted them, and she swallowed heavily when Godric went to get her room service.

* * *

Eric rose to the surprising feeling of his Maker's amusement. He was used to silence with the bond, or the odd neutrality Godric seemed to exist in for the last century. He frowned and sped through dressing when he realized that Godric would have had several hours with Alex before any of the others would rise. This would make keeping them apart rather more difficult, but he was nothing if not resourceful.

Eric strode into the common room and stared at the odd tableau. He could smell chocolate in the air, and he smirked when he detected that the girl was on her menses. There was no way that Godric would be interested in her at this time, and he imagined whatever odd fascination his Maker seemed to have for her would also be decreased. Of course the fact that the girl was using his Ancient father as a glorified pillow was enough to shove that theory out the door. Why the hell was his Maker so interested in the odd human when he knew he had no chance to be her mate? Humans were good for fucking and feeding, and it was impossible, and also illegal, to either with Alex.

"Godric," he greeted, and watched expressionlessly when his father's hands did not even pause in their slow motions over the girl's hair.

Godric glanced up at his towering progeny and offered a gentle, "Good evening, my son."

Eric nudged at their bond, trying to determine his Maker's mood. "Alex, your appointment at the spa with Pam and Isabel starts in two hours. You may want to go get ready, as my child is not one to wait when pampering can occur."

Alex beamed in excitement. The spa sounded fantastic, and was probably the only thing other than spending time with Godric that would get her out from under her heated blanket. Plus, she sort of got the feeling that Eric really wanted to spend some time with his Maker.

"Okay, thanks!" She struggled to sit up, her belly more than full of chocolaty cake goodness. She glared over her shoulder when she felt Godric begin to shake with suppressed laughter.

"Perhaps two pieces of cake were a little much, Alex?" he teased and she fought the shiver as his cool breath slid across her neck. Trying to distract Godric from her embarrassing reaction, she quickly dug an elbow into his side.

"Hey, it was delicious and it was needed to save the fate of the entire hotel from my evil wrath," she declared with as much dramatic flare as possible.

She could hear the Ancient's laughter in his stoic voice when he solemnly agreed with her statement, and only kept from pouting when he put a supporting hand on her lower back and helped her stand up from the overly plush couch.

She forgot that Eric was there watching them and playfully leaned in to whisper, "See, you're being a hero again, saving me from the human-eating couch!" With twinkling eyes she reached down and quickly squeezed his hand, the action hidden by their bodies.

The scuff of a foot on the floor brought her attention back from looking into his pretty eyes and she tossed a glance over at a clearly impatient Viking. "Okay, okay, I'm going!" she laughed and quickly moved to the door separating the two nests. Before it closed she popped her head back in. "Um, Godric, can Isabel come too?"

He smiled at her hopeful expression, pleased that she was so attached to the female vampire. "Yes, she is free for several hours, although she will not be able to stay for the entire appointment."

Alex smiled and quickly ducked out of the room, and only after the door shut did she roll her eyes at the glare the grumpy Viking had given her. Sheesh, he sure had woken up on the wrong side of the coffin that morning! She really couldn't wait until the two female vampires woke up, as she knew they were going to have so much fun!

* * *

"When do you plan on telling Alex she is a Fated Mate?" Eric asked Theron. He and his Maker were sitting in the shared common area, speaking about one of the meetings they had just come from. He was still unhappy that Alex and his father were going out later, and he fully planned on tagging along to run interference instead of using his free time to become better acquainted with the blonde set of twin donors downstairs. Seriously, the things he did for his Maker!

He glanced down at his phone with a frown. His Pam, along with Alex and Isabel had left several hours ago for their spa appointments downstairs, the girl chattering excitedly the entire time. He truly did not envy his progeny the experience she would have with the extremely excited girl.

Theron sighed, the issue weighing heavily on his mind. His daughter was such a bright and inquisitive spirit, although sometimes rather too curious for her own good. It was the first time in history that a Fated Mate had been discovered before they felt the pull at eighteen, and he wished for his daughter to have the same chance to grow up unencumbered by the knowledge that her fate was sealed. He had no doubt that when she was told of her special destiny that she would be excited and eager to discover the identity of her mate, but he wished her to remain his sweet little daughter for a few years longer. At least he did to have to concern himself about her having adolescent crushes, since it appeared as if human men could not stand to be around her. Granted it confused her and hurt her feelings, but at least he did not have to worry about her falling in love with someone completely inappropriate. Even if she had, it would be a doomed love as it would not survive her Pull towards her vampire mate. Nothing, and no previous bonds, could survive a Fated Mating and he did not wish even a brief heartache upon his little girl.

Yes, Theron decided. He would tell her several months before her eighteenth birthday so that his impatient daughter would not be forced to wait for long. He could already imagine her excitement, for did not every woman wish to discover that they were destined for a great love? A soulmate? She was truly blessed.

He smiled, content on his decision. "She is still a child, and I wish for her to grow as she will. She is also impatient, and I do not want her to have to deal with knowing she has a soulmate, but then be disappointed with having to wait to find him or her. I planned on telling her sometimes in her seventeenth year, and believe she will be very happy."

Godric frowned down at his untouched glass of rapidly cooling donor blood. He forced himself to ignore the odd tightness in his chest, and to think of the possible candidates only to realize that the list was surprisingly small. Even more depressing was that few of them were remotely good enough for her. The only vampire that Godric thought the gods could perhaps bless with a mate, and who would treat Alex well, would be his old friend Pierre who was currently King of Barcelona. He would treat her well, but still …

The idea did not sit well with him, and he forcefully turned his attention back on his companions. "She is rather petite, and I doubt will grow much more," he finally offered.

Theron nodded. "Her brothers and I have spoken about that when Dr. Ludwig told us she would not likely grow much taller. She is too small to be the mate of a vampire less than at least a thousand years. Much younger, and they would require too much blood for her to sustain them. Not even Edgington fed from other humans while Talbot was still mortal, and even today he prefers to feed from his mate. Supposedly the blood of a Fated Mate, even once Turned, is beyond compare."

"Thats a rather short list," Eric said. "There are only, what, forty-eight Ancients in the world that could truly qualify? Perhaps a hundred and twenty more that come close?"

"Forty-seven," Theron corrected. "Thierry met the sun last month after his favorite Child met the True Death. Not even the possibility of a Fated Mate was enough to stop his heartache."

"Damn," Eric muttered. "He still owed me money from that incident during the Bolshevik Revolution." A thought hit him, and if possible he went even paler. "Exactly how old were you saying the vampire would have to be?"

Theron shot an amused look at an expressionless Godric. "At the very least, a millennia. Are you afraid that your tomcat days may be numbered, Viking? They say once mated, a vampire feels little need for the embrace of another."

Eric grimaced at the idea of being tied to one being for eternity. While Alex was attractive enough, she was most definitely not his preferred type. He liked them several inches taller, rounder, worldlier, and a lot less trouble. Virgins were fine in theory, but overall were a pain in the ass to bed and tended to get clingy and emotional. No, he much preferred someone who knew their way around the bedroom, and he had no desire to be a one-woman vampire anytime soon. Besides, from the stories that Gabriel was telling him earlier, that girl was a bigger trouble magnet then a newborn vampire!

Godric bit back a growl at the idea of his own son being mated to Alex. While he dearly loved his progeny, he was too wild and young to properly care for and guard her playful spirit. No, Alex needed someone calm and mature who would balance out her adventurous and lively personality. On the other hand, he thought darkly, if Eric was her intended, then Godric would be in the position to make sure Eric was a proper and attentive mate. Even if it required dozens of Maker's Commands to do so. His thoughts were interrupted by Theron.

"Do not fret, Eric," Theron said. "The gods would not gift you with a Fated Mate considering who your Maker is. I believe humans call it 'guilt by association.'" He turned to his oldest friend and ally. "No offense Godric, but even you admit that you have angered more gods and guardians than any other being in history."

Eric growled at the insult to his Maker, although everyone knew it to be true. Godric had made it a hobby in his first thousand years to piss off, terrify and kill as many Supernaturals as he could, and the gods were no exception. Nor their pesky, winged guardians that had tasted delightfully spicy the one time Eric himself had managed to catch one of the creatures. Supposedly his father had hunted the guardians down until they had left Earth for another realm. Godric's angry rampages were now legend, and even the few dozen vampires older than his Maker hesitated to deal with Death. It had definitely made for an interesting upbringing during his own baby vampire years. "From what Gabriel tells me, you daughter is a firecracker."

Theron rolled his eyes, a habit he had unfortunately picked up from his mortal child. "My eldest has issues dealing with the fact his baby sister is growing up. Alex has matured greatly, and I assure you she is becoming a proper young lady."

All three tensed, and their fangs _snicked_ down when the common room door slammed open, and Isabel and Pam walked in dragging a furiously shouting Alex. Pam firmly held the teen's wrist as she continually tried to lunge at the bleeding human that reluctantly shuffled in behind them.

"I'm gonna blacken your other eye, you lying, rat-stinking, bastard son of a diseased ho-bag!" Alex snarled at the angry male. He looked to be in his early twenties and wore the red uniform of the hotel staff, although blood now marred the once pristine cloth.

"Let go of me, Pam!" Alex demanded, and tried to squirm out of the vampire's steel grip as she glared daggers at the brunet male who was sporting a clearly broken nose and a rapidly swelling eye. He was also limping, she saw joyfully, and it was totally worth her sore knee.

Theron sighed, and closed his eyes. Somewhere, he thought, there was a god laughing their omnipotent ass off at him. Years of dealing with Alex's 'adventures' had desensitized him to the unexpected faster then centuries with his three vampire progeny ever had, but sometimes he still occasionally wondered exactly how she always managed to find so much trouble.

"What is it this time, Alex?" he asked wearily.

Alex froze, and looked over at the three male vampires. Uh oh. Busted. That was her dad's 'you're going to get a lecture' voice. His lectures would bore even Spock from _Star Trek_ to death, and as she had gotten older the urge to roll her eyes had only gotten worse.

With a nervous glance she saw that both Eric and Godric were both looking at her with bemused expressions. She bit her lip, and for the first time wished that Godric was somewhere far, far away. What if his feelings got hurt by what the disgusting jerk said about him? No, he didn't need to know what others in the hotel didn't even have the balls to say in front of his face, even if she had to take the fall for it.

"He deserved it!" she stalled as her mind spun on how she could keep the reason she had fought a secret.

Theron was less than impressed with the interruption, especially just after he had assured the Viking that his daughter was no longer a hellion. "What have I told you about fighting, Alex? This is not the time for you to lose your temper. _Again_."

Alex's eyes narrowed, and she ignored her embarrassment at being scolded in front of everyone, in front of _Godric_, like a little kid. "I was defending the honor of our nest," she said stubbornly. "He should have kept his filthy mouth shut!" She would lie, she decided, and say that she had heard the guy talking about Gabriel. She would still be in trouble, but at least Godric wouldn't learn the filthy things people were saying about him. When Pam spoke, she tried to subtly kick the female to stay silent.

Pam easily sidestepped the obvious move and smirked at her bored Maker, her hand still firmly around Alex's wrist. "She's a spitfire! One minute she's standing there looking at spa products, the next she's flinging herself across the room and kneeing the bloodbag in the balls. We had to hustle her out before her scent drove the others mad."

"What is your name and your affiliation with this hotel?" Theron calmly asked the still-bleeding male.

"Robert, sir, and I'm one of the _special_ _employees_ of the hotel." He puffed his chest up, proud to have been chosen as a donor. Learning that vampires existed had been shocking, but he had high hopes for being taken as a companion to a wealthy female vampire, as he was good looking and prided himself on his skills in bed. He should have realized that spreading the gossip he had heard from his last feeding assignment was a bad idea, but how was he supposed to know the young girl standing nearby was with some of the vampires here? He scowled down at the floor. How was some punk kid taken as a companion to these obviously wealthy vampires when he was still having to be the call-boy to any vampire who was peckish for A+ blood?

Eric rolled his eyes at the idiotic human who obviously thought rather well of himself. Stupid, since as he had disgustingly common blood and had been added to the donor stable because of his looks and lack of family or friends to miss him should something untold occur. "Pamela, As I doubt the cupcake-sized Valkyrie will enlighten us, what exactly did the bloodbag say that was so insulting?"

"It doesn't matter—!" Alex interrupted hurriedly, her eyes wide, and winced when every vampire took a deep breath. Crap, she blew it. Being a human teen in a nest of vampires was so unfair sometimes. No doubt they had just gotten a big sniff of her adrenaline spike, not to mention she had always sort of sucked at directly lying.

"Pam, please," she begged softly with beseeching eyes. Isabel wouldn't say anything because she was Godric's Second, but why would Pam hurt Godric's feelings like this? Godric was wonderful, and she would fight anyone who said otherwise.

Pam let go of the teen with a roll of her eyes, and looked with irritation at her ruined manicure. "The fangbanger spoke the typical bullshit about my grand-sire that the younger vampires gossip about."

Alex looked anxiously over to her vampire, afraid that he would be upset. When she saw the blank look on his face, her stomach sank and she decided then and there that Pam was going to be introduced to as many forms of garlic as possible. Perhaps some garlic paste rubbed in her beloved shoes would teach her to mind other people's feelings? Her vengeful thoughts were interrupted by Eric.

Eric was somewhat impressed that the girl defended his Maker, but she had really made a mountain out of a molehill. "Maker, which ones do you think they were this time? Tearing the hearts out of babies? Seducing a convent of young nuns only to rip out their entrails and bathe in their blood?" Seriously, he would have thought that the fact that the Great Revelation was imminent would be more important than gossip about his Maker.

Robert's gaze swung to the quietly sitting teenage vampire. _This_ was the Godric that his clients had been so afraid of? He looked to be nineteen at the most, and was nowhere near as intimidating looking as the other two males. Then his eyes met cool grey, and he was pinned like a butterfly against a board.

Old eyes. Ancient eyes.

Those eyes that had seen more than Robert could possible understand, and he whimpered as he was caught in their endless depths. He was trapped, beyond fear, beyond terror, as he stared into a power that pushed him straight past such paltry emotions, and into paralyzing horror. These were the merciless eyes of a predator that had ruthlessly survived the ages, and could kill him in an instant with a flick of a finger.

"Ew!" Alex gagged at the scent of human urine. Had he really just peed himself? She edged away from the pale and shaking human with the rapidly spreading stain on his pants. He was staring at Godric like he had just seen a shifted werewolf for the first time, and her gaze swung back towards her favorite vampire. She looked between the two, confused at what was so scary. Her vampire was just quietly sitting there, not even glaring! Maybe she hit the human a little bit too hard on the head?

When those horrifying grey eyes finally turned away, Robert raised a shaking hand to run through his hair. There was no warning. One minute he was standing there in a puddle of damp humiliation, and the next he was forced to his knees in his own urine, a cold hand around his neck and a snarling vampire in his face, his lips twisted back to expose gleaming fangs. Oh gods, he was going to die! With that, he lost all bodily control and voided his bowels as he looked death in the face.

Godric grabbed the human's hand and yanked it painfully up to take a closer look as he ignored the snap of frail human bone and the smell of feces. Yes, he had thought he had seen the faint pattern of a blooming bruise across the red knuckles. He sniffed, and smelled the scents of vampires, human food, fear … and Alex.

"You dared lay your hands on her?" he asked with deadly softness, and crushed his power down upon the human so harshly that the breath gurgled in his fragile chest as his heart threatened to burst like a terrified rabbit's. He sensed the other vampires in the room, even his son, take several steps back as if that would keep them from feeling his ire. His rage was legendary in the Supernatural world, and the quieter he became the further away others wished to be. He reluctantly loosened his grip around the male's throat so he could speak.

"S-sh-she h-hit m-me first!" Robert croaked. If he survived this he swore he would move back to Nebraska and become a farmer like his dad. Something in the room was suffocating him, pressing down upon him like a heavy weight against his skin, even as every hair felt like it was standing upright.

The small hand on Godric's shoulder pulled him back from the killing edge. Warmth bloomed in his chest, and a sense of strength and control filled him as he beat back his instincts to destroy. He stared at the quivering male in front of him, surprised that Alex could even approach him. One of the gifts his advanced age had brought him was the ability for his power to sense and repel any being from coming near him. His power acted like a physical barrier that could blanket an entire Area if he so chose, yet it surrounded Alex in a warm cocoon and allowed her close. Welcomed her, he realized, and practically purred as it enfolded her within the safety of its embrace as it kept any other from approaching them. Thank the gods his instincts recognized her as a Fated Mate, for if he had harmed her … the thought made him nauseous.

"Mr. Sheriff Sir … please let him go." She didn't understand why everyone was staring like she had suddenly declared herself a Faeling princess and started dancing around in a tutu. Didn't they know that Godric could get in trouble if he killed the stupid male while inside the hotel? It couldn't be as easily hidden as the two kidnappers from last night. The Ancient Pythoness had declared that there would be no killing for the next two days, and she didn't want her vampire to get in trouble.

"He hit you hard enough that his knuckles are bruised," Godric growled.

Alex rolled her eyes with a frustrated huff. She wasn't some delicate flower, although the fact that Godric was so protective made her feel gooey and warm. "He barely ruffled my hair! I ducked and the jerk ran his hand into the huge rack of spa stuff. There … uh … may have been a bit of a mess left behind." The muscles under her hand were taut, and she gently rubbed her thumb back and forth where it rested on his shoulder. For a moment she was distracted by the odd, bumpy feel of his skin under the thin shirt. What was that?

"Please, Godric. I don't want you to get in trouble. There isn't any killing allowed right now, remember? Please, just let him go."

Godric was silent as he struggled to contain his wild need to protect Alex. He focused on the slow back and forth motion of her thumb across the rough skin of his brand, and the heat it left in its wake. He despised people touching the reminder of his human life, had been known to rip out the throats of those who derided the fact that he had once been a slave, but he found Alex's calming. Her scent deterred her being harmed, and his own inner monster obviously refused to allow him to lose himself within blood lust where she could be hurt.

Theron cautiously stepped forward as the tension in the room lessoned. Even though Godric was his friend and ally, he still kept his distance when he was in such a mood. Hell, _everyone_ kept a distance from the Ancient, no matter what mood he happened to be in! If it was possible, he would have had a heart attack when his fragile daughter walked up to the clearly pissed off Ancient. Yes, she was a Fated Mate and her scent could either calm or incite any vampire depending upon the situation, but the idea of her near an angry Godric was horrifying. He had lunged to stop her, but had been violently repelled by the barrier of Godric's aura. Out of all the Ancients, the Gaul was the only one who could create a physical wall out of his power, and it was a strength that only added to his legend and kept Dallas safe from any usurpers. As if any would even be foolish enough to challenge Death, yet it did have the nice side effect of keeping the rowdy Dallas vampires firmly in line.

"Godric," he said with a forced calm. "I will take the boy downstairs, and Pamela can assist in determining what damages were done to the spa." His daughter seemed to have a calming effect on his friend, but Theron knew that his own presence as the second oldest vampire in the room was still pricking Death's instincts.

Godric nodded, and continued to concentrate on the soft back and forth motion of Alex's thumb across his brand. Slowly he pulled further away from the blood rage he had been entering, and when he looked down at the broken and traumatized human male, he was surprisingly not filled with his usual sense of self-hatred. He kept his body carefully between the sobbing donor and Alex as Pam dragged him towards the door, his ice cold gaze locked with the human's as he made sure that the boy would never even think of raising a hand against his Firefly ever again.

* * *

She curled up facing him, her knees tucked up against the back of the sofa, and leaned her forehead against the front of his shoulder. Her fingers curled against his chest, and she imagined that she could feel a gentle hum where they touched.

"What was that? On your back, I mean?" she added when he raised a single eyebrow at her first question. Without thinking, she slid her hand around his left shoulder, and gently traced her fingers over the raised bumps hidden under his grey shirt.

The glance he gave her, the distant look in his eyes made something in her hurt, the hum in her chest turning discordant. "Godric?" she whispered, and continued to stroke her fingers lightly over the round circle. He reached up and ran his fingers down the long braid that draped over her shoulder, and her eyes fluttered shut for a moment before she once again looked into his eyes.

"You see me as a powerful vampire, Firefly," he said softly, and his gaze was intent upon hers with the pain of centuries past within their grey depths as he told her the story that few truly knew. He could feel Eric's surprise, but his attention was firmly on Alex. "That was not always the case. Once, thousands of years ago, I was a human boy taken by the Romans, and sold to he who would become my Maker. Back then it was traditional to brand ownership into your slaves."

Alex was horrified. She knew that some vampires did not abide by The Code, but to harm your future Child? It was sacrilege! Anger began to brew, dark and coldly furious. "Y-your Maker did this to you?!" she demanded harshly, even as she laid her hand protectively over the brand. Her other hand slipped into his and she tangled their fingers together, the action hidden between their bodies.

At Godric's nod, her fury tripled until it was like a living, raging being in her chest. "Has he met the True Death? If not, I'm going to find him and kill him! I'll wash his goo away with bleach until he's not even a stain on the ground! How dare he hurt you! That … that … small fanged … dirty blooded … werewolf sniffing … _wanker_!" she snarled.

For a moment everyone stared, and then Eric let loose a deep belly laugh, reluctantly charmed by the small human. "A 'Cupcake-Sized Valkyrie' indeed, although we need to work on your swearing! And just how, little Cupcake, did you plan on killing a vampire older than even Godric?" He looked over, expecting Isabel to share his amusement, but the shocked look on the female's face had his own gaze swerving back to the two on the sofa. Quickly, he muffled his side of the bond as surprise bloomed.

His Maker, a vampire renowned for his composure, battle abilities, and stoic facade was staring down at the fuming girl with a look Eric had never seen before in all of his hundreds of years by Godric's side. It was a stare of such gentle wonder, of such tender depth of feeling that Eric oddly felt like he was intruding on a deeply private moment. The whispers of dread grew louder when Godric moved to tuck a strand of hair behind the girl's ear, and she leaned her cheek into his palm, the movements natural and almost well-practiced. What the hell was his Maker playing at?!

"I won't let anyone hurt you, not ever," Alex whispered, and pressed her hand against Godric's brand, her gaze never leaving his, her cheek burning under his touch. A faint vibration against other hand where it pressed over his heart, and the rough sound of his barely heard purr made her quietly laugh. She leaned forward again and cuddled against his chest, her head tucked under his chin as she got as comfortable as she could with her arm still around his left shoulder.

Sleepily she breathed in his scent, content and safe. They were going to go Christmas tree hunting later, and then after that she had wheedled Josiah into agreeing to go with her for an emergency shopping expedition. She needed to buy some gifts ASAP, and she was thankful that the huge mall nearby was open late.

"Wake me when its time to go?" she mumbled and at Godric's hum of agreement she settled in for a short nap. With her last conscious thought, she made sure to keep her hand over his brand like a shield against his bad memories.

* * *

Alex grinned as she and her brother walked back into the busy hotel. She had found the perfect Christmas gift for the two nests, and she didn't even care that her father had theoretically cancelled Christmas. This was her very first holiday with her vampire, and they even had a tree! It had been a stretch since she had spent most of her money on the Angel Tree kids, but she had gladly used up some of her savings to buy Godric the perfect gift. A sultry female voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Hey sugar." The donor was dressed in the red uniform of the hotel, and draped herself over Josiah's arm so that her chest rubbed against him. "Wouldn't you prefer a real woman like myself instead of a little girl?" She ran a red painted nail down Josiah's chest. "I promise you, I'm very good."

Josiah's fangs dropped as he took a sniff of the woman. "Alex," Josiah said as he shared a quick nod with the Viking across the lobby. "Eric is over by the elevators, go with him back to the suite while I go take care of some … business."

Alex rolled her eyes and wondered if Josiah thought she as really that dumb, and ambled off towards Eric. As she approached, the Viking patted another beautiful donor — and were all of them gorgeous?— on her butt and sent her on her way with a promise of 'later'. It sure was a good thing vampires had rented out the entire hotel with guards at the door so that humans wouldn't get suspicious of the strange behavior.

"Hello, Sheriff," she offered politely to Eric with a deep head nod. She could get away with more casual behavior in their nest, but outside of it she had to be doubly careful to obey The Code. Especially since the Viking still seemed pretty angry from their tree shopping earlier. He really did need to lighten up, you didn't see her sulking that he had invited himself along to her and Godric's outing. She followed him into the elevator and leaned against the rail as the doors closed, lost in her thoughts.

Eric just stared at her, and she did her best to ignore him. Her memories of the Viking had him being a fun playmate who had watched movies with her and kept her entertained with stories of his past. Now, however, he seemed almost distant and cold. She thought it was strange how he kept watching her with his Maker, but maybe he was jealous of the time Godric spent with her?

She tried to smile, but the implacable look he gave her made it wither on her lips. Sheesh, he was even grouchier than Gabriel, which she had thought was impossible. As much as she loved her older brother, she still wondered when he would yank the stake out of his butt and relax. Still, there had to be something special about Eric since Godric had chosen him so many years ago. She was unaware of the soft smile that graced her face at the thought of the Dallas Sheriff, her mind happily reminiscing over their talk and cuddling earlier in the evening.

Eric watched as the girl smiled dreamily at a blank wall, the expression almost … adoring. Ugh, human emotions were disgusting, but it did give a hint of her future looks. "You're not unfortunate looking … for a breather." He bit back a curse at her shocked look. Why did he say that? It had to be because of her scent and how it had started to permeate the elevator, demanding he make her feel better. Yes, it was only because of her magical scent, and not because he had seen the brief flash of envy as she stared at the beautiful female donors.

The clipped words made her start in surprise, and her eyes flew towards the irritatingly tall vampire leaning in a James Dean pose against the opposite wall. She felt almost naked when his eyes raked up and down her body, and wariness made her stiffen. Why was he looking at her like this?

"Er … thanks?" She decided to ignore his weird behavior, and her mind wandered. Unfortunately, instead of happy thoughts about a certain Dallas Sheriff, instead she couldn't help but remember the humans downstairs who threw themselves at any vampire they came across. If this was the behavior of some humans pre-Reveal, she shuddered to think of what they would be like afterwards. Still, they were all extremely attractive and insecurity bloomed. Eric had said she wasn't 'unfortunate looking' but the women downstairs were beautiful. How was she supposed to compete with that?

"The humans downstairs are so much prettier though," she muttered with a sinking heart. Did Godric prefer women like that? Tall, curvy, and wearing clothes that showed everything they had to offer? She glanced down at her modest size B chest with a worried frown. There was no push-up bra in the world that could give her the type of cleavage that they were sporting. Her gaze trailed down to her jean-clad legs and sneakered feet, and pouted at the injustice of it all. How was a girl supposed to have 'legs for days' when she barely reached 5'3? The one time she had tried to wear heels to make herself taller, Bennett had video taped it and still liked to use it for bribery.

"Yes, physically they are older and more well-developed, but you have your own charms and still have several years of growth ahead of you. I've experienced women the world over, and I think you'll be just fine." Eric wanted to stake himself when more comforting words slipped out. What in Freya's name was he doing?! He needed to figure out what it was about her that could possibly interest his 2000 year old Maker, not soothe her adolescent worries like some human therapist. She was pretty, true, but hardly anything unusual to those that had seen and experienced some of the greatest and most talented beauties from around the world. He needed to warn her away from his Maker, not boost her teenage self-esteem! He glared, trying to make up for the moment of 'niceness' he had just displayed, and decided to try and find out more about the little human.

"So, what sorts of hobbies do you have? Any boyfriends? Girlfriends?" Life, Eric decided, would really be a lot easier for him if the girl was hopelessly in love with some human boy or girl. Or even a filthy Were. Anybody, really, other than his own Maker. Surely the girl realized that his Maker could have nothing other than, at most, paternal feelings towards her?

The question sat like an elephant in the room as Alex's startled gaze stayed on Eric. She swallowed and glanced over to see that they still had at least 20 floors to go, fidgeting under the Viking's intense look and trying to fight off a blush. This had to be the slowest elevator in the world. Her belly twisted and nausea made her throat go tight. Why was Eric looking at her like that and asking questions about whether or not she had a boyfriend? He … he wasn't flirting with her, was he? He would not disrespect her father by attempting to use her for a quick feeding … but she would be eligible for being a bonded companion in another 3 years. Oh dear gods, what if he was trying to see if she would be interested in him like that?

She pushed further back against the wall and frantically tried to figure out what to say as the silence stretched. Her dad hadn't gone over that part of The Code yet since she wouldn't need it for a few more years. She supposed that Eric was sort of good looking, although she wasn't a fan of his long hair or moody attitude. It really wasn't his fault that he barely held a candle to his gorgeous Maker, a fact that probably bothered him a lot.

Her eyes widened as she thought over the last few days of interactions, and the weird looks he kept giving her. How he kept inviting himself along when she and Godric were hanging out. Was this why he had changed so much from her memories of him? The gods knew that she herself sometimes found it hard to deal with the fact that her brothers were so beautiful that people often seemed to question how she could even be related to them. She didn't want to hurt Eric's feelings, even though she was sure that he had to be used to women over-looking him when Godric was anywhere nearby.

She blushed, thinking about how it would be if it was Godric looking at her like that, if it were him asking her about being a possible future bonded companion. Her stomach flipped with nervous excitement at the very idea. Yeah, there really was no comparison between the two.

"Um …" she hesitated, and then to her horror the words sort of tumbled out. "So … you're really nice and all, but I'm just not interested."

For once Eric's vampire training failed him, and his eyes widened in shock as his jaw dropped. "Excuse me?"

Alex flinched and shot another desperate glance at the slowly changing floor numbers. Great, now she had hurt his feelings, and empathy fought with her anxiety. "You're just not my type," she managed to say, her throat tight with nerves. Crap! That wasn't much better, and now he looked even more insulted.

She took a deep breath, and tried again. "I-I mean, you're not ugly or anything, but … but … I'm just not attracted to you." She winced again at the unintentional barb, and tried to subtly wipe her sweating palms on her pants. "You're … you're very pretty, but I, um, I already lik—, I mean, I'm just not interested in any sort of relationship right now, and I'm not eligible for being a companion for another three years. Plus, um, you're kind of … er …" How did she tell him she wasn't interested in being the bonded to a Playboy vampire? She had heard the stories about the Viking, and she knew he was more of a 'bite them and leave them' type. She remembered a line from one of Gabriel's trashy romance novels, and desperately threw it out into the awkward silence. "It's not you, it's me!"

Did she just call him … pretty? And infer that he was looking at her as a possible bonded companion? He stared, incredibly insulted and wondering how the situation had devolved to such a state. He had not been attempting to flirt with the girl, but now he felt almost put out that she was apparently immune to his— many!— charms. He could have any woman, human or vampire, he desired with a crook of his finger! Hell, he could use Godric as a character reference to his prowess, his Maker often over-shadowed by those unable to see beyond his youthful appearance when the two stood together. If these strange misunderstandings and odd leaps of logic where what his father had to deal with, perhaps he didn't have to worry about trying to separate them.

He shot a scathing look at the girl. Was it possible for a vampire to get a headache?

Alex held her breath, but Eric's glare made her pray for the doors to the elevator to hurry up and open. She had obviously hurt his feelings and insulted his proposal, and she really hoped Godric wouldn't be angry with her. Seriously, how was she supposed to know that the big, bad Viking was so sensitive and emo? He did like to wear a lot of black, but she thought it was just a vampire thing.

The doors finally opened and to her relief Godric stood waiting in the hallway, his hands clasped behind his back. Relief flew through her, and she leapt out of the elevator and hid herself behind his sturdy form. Well, she assured herself, she wasn't really _hiding, _she was merely using him as a shield against the giant, grumpy vampire that she had just rejected.

"Godric!" she said as she pressed against his linen-clad back. "Tell Eric that I'm sorry that I hurt his feelings, I'm just not interested in having him for my companion!"

* * *

Something nudged her from the safe cocoon of sleep, and Alex's eyes cracked open as she struggled to see in her dark room. She was beyond exhausted, and had wanted to go to bed not long after she had had her awkward 'chat' with Godric and Eric. She had never seen the blond so nervous as when Godric had pinned him in place with only a glare and a chilly, 'Explain.'

After that debacle, of which she wanted to never think of ever again, the rest of the two nests had arrived and one thing led to another when they saw the small Christmas tree in Godric's living room. Although she had watched her dad with worried eyes, she had stood proudly next to the little tree that she and Godric had chosen together.

Eric had continued to sulk in the corner, and just muttered about how the tree was a disgrace. The Viking giant had practically demanded they pick one of the twelve foot tall trees in the lot, yet when she had seen the small Charlie Brown-style tree sitting off to the side in the shadows, her heart had just melted and she and Godric had shared a look. Yeah, she knew what it was like to be alone, and even though it was silly she was determined that this tree would have a home for Christmas.

Maybe she wasn't the only one that had missed their Christmas tradition, since Gabriel had quickly, if gruffly, pulled out a packet of fresh origami paper that he 'just happened to have brought along.' Their little tree now had all sorts of origami decorations, and it looked so pretty in his living room. Her mind wandered as her eyes fluttered shut, and the world became fuzzy as she slid slowly back towards sleep.

She was almost there, her mind full of soft shapes and colors as it was caught on the edge of dreaming when instinct screamed, and Alex was dragged abruptly from her half-asleep state. With a gasp, she sat up in her bed and peered cautiously around the room, confused at what had just happened. Had there been a noise? Nothing looked different, her clothes shadowy pools of fabric on the floor, and her sketchbook and older-than-dirt-but-it-still-works camera still on the table next to the bed where she had put them before she fell asleep.

She shivered, and used her feet to pull up the comforter from where she must have kicked it off earlier. She really needed to remember to turn up the heat before she went to sleep, or maybe wear something other then the matching pink polka dot tank top and sleep short outfit to bed. Her bare toes felt like blocks of ice, and with a sleepy grumble she reached for the ground next to the bed and flailed her hand around until she touched soft cotton. With a relieved sigh and a sleepy giggle, she pulled on her favorite Halloween inspired knee-high toe socks. Bennett had bought them for her, and she loved how soft and warm they were. Every time she wore them it made a muscle in Gabriel's cheek twitch, which may be part of why she wore them so often, since he was less than impressed with their bright purple background, multiple vampire fangs and the words 'Bite Me' written in dripping red blood down the sides.

She snuggled under the downy comforter and glanced at the bright white numbers on her alarm clock. Sheesh, how long had it been since she was up at 11:37am? No wonder her head was fuzzy and her eyes felt like gritty sandpaper.

After making sure her alarm was still set for 3:30pm so she could meet with Godric, she turned and cuddled back into her mound of comfy pillows. The room was quiet, the soft sound of the air moving through the vents drawing her quickly back to sleep. She was almost there when she realized that the faint crinkling she had heard was unusual.

Pillows didn't crinkle.

With a groan she flopped out a hand and felt along the pillow until her palm landed on a slick square of paper. She reluctantly cracked open her left eye, and she frowned as she tried to make out what she was looking at in the darkened room. She really did envy her brothers their vampire senses.

Curious now, and more awake, she clicked on the bed lamp and slapped a hand over her eyes.

"Damn it!" she muttered, and impatiently waited for her eyes to adjust to the light. A few minutes later she cracked her fingers, and when the light didn't sear her retinas, she once more looked at what she now saw was a polaroid picture. She frowned, and flipped it right-side up, puzzled at exactly what the dark image was showing her. This wasn't one of her photos, since she knew better than to take a picture when the only light to be had was from a weak flashlight and the glowing numbers of an alarm clock that read 11:30am. Slowly, she made out what the very dark picture was showing her, but it wasn't until she saw the glint of red off a curl of hair, and a highly familiar polka dot outfit that she realized exactly what it was.

Or rather, _who _it was.

Shock. Horror. _Fear._

Her eyes shot back to the alarm clock that now read 11:40am, and she remembered something waking her up … and that something had to have been … it had to have been …

Her head jerked up and her frightened gaze skittered around the lit room as her heart pounded double time in her chest. There was no one here, the room was completely empty except for her huddled form on the large bed. Slowly, very slowly, her eyes moved towards her closet door as childish fears became reality. Had she closed it before she went to sleep? She stared at the shadowy slit at the base of the door, and when she thought she saw a flicker of motion, she reacted.

Panicked, Alex catapulted herself off the bed and raced out of her room for the one place in the world that she felt truly safe. To the one person who had always fought the monsters for her, and won.

Alex hit her door running, flung herself into her nest's common room, and slammed the door behind her. She crouched and pressed her back and palms against he wall behind her, her wide eyes desperately flicking to every shadowed corner as she crouched and hugged the wall.

Oh no. Oh gods, no! Everything was in pitch black shadows, and she couldn't see anything! She cursed as she huddled there trembling in fear and indecision, knowing that she had ruined her night vision when she had turned on her light. What if the person was actually out here, and not in her closet? She wouldn't be able to see them, and she couldn't hear anything over the pounding in her ears.

She shrieked at the sudden movement to her left near the shuttered windows, and she threw herself across the room and through the door into the two nests' shared common room. She tripped, and it was only her years of training that had her automatically tucking and rolling as she passed the couch, her eyes locked on her target.

She sprung to her feet and kept going, gasping for air as she skidded to a halt in front of the reinforced door to the other suite that housed Godric's nest, and she shakily pressed the code to open the door. The harsh buzz and red light denied her entrance, and she cursed.

"Please, please!" she begged as she tried a second time. She only had three tries before the entire room would lock down, and she would be left alone with some crazy person. The second harsh buzz made her want to weep, and she franticly looked over her shoulder as she struggled to calm her trembling hands.

"You can do this, Alex. Don't be a damsel!" she demanded, and this time she forced herself to take a deep breath and slow her movements as she carefully put in the code. The green beep sounded like bliss, and she squeezed her way through the barely opened door before she slammed it firmly behind her.

She spun right towards the hallway, and her sock covered feet skidded across the wood floor as she lurched into a giant floor vase that teetered and fell with a loud crash. She jumped over the shards, desperation practically giving her vampire strength, and ran towards the end of the hallway.

Alex didn't have his code, but she jammed her finger on the panic buzzer next to his door so hard she almost broke it. She imagined that she could feel eyes on her, watching her every move.

"Godric! Wake up! Mr. Sheriff Sir, please!" she begged, and her heart fell when she realized the sun was at it's highest, and the vampires in the deepest part of their sleep. Could he even wake up this early in the day?

She didn't want to be alone, she needed him to be here with her. "No, no, no!" Alex reared back and started to kick her sock-clad feet and bare hands against the wood overlaid steel door. She wanted him, and she wanted him right now! Energy pulled in her stomach, her terror making her adrenaline rush through her body in a hot wave.

"Godric! Damn it, wake up!" she demanded, each word emphasized by a slamming a fist against his door. Her chest _throbbed_ once, twice, and then a third time as the wave of heat exploded outwards, leaving her cold and even more exhausted.

She gathered her energy and reared back to punch the door again, when it abruptly opened. Unable to stop her momentum she fell forward with a squeal into a pair of cool arms, her fear making her flail before the scent of oak surrounded her.

Warmth. Safety.

_Home. _

She turned into him and clung, pressed so tightly against him that if he had needed to breathe it would have been impossible. With a desperate whine, she stood on her tiptoes and pressed her nose into his neck as she took deep breaths of his scent. She wrapped her hands around his bare waist, her fingers splayed across the tattoo at the base of his spine. She pressed tighter to his throat, and practically whimpered in relief when he angled his chin to give her more room. The feeling in her chest quieted, and a calming hum filled her from where they touched. She wasn't alone.

Safe. She was _safe_.

"Alex, what is wrong?" Godric demanded after pushing his senses out and discovering nothing in the nest that would warrant her fear. He ignored the agonizing pull of the sun, the burning moving like acid through his veins. The pull towards sleep was almost to great to resist, even for him. How was he even awake at this time? It was like he had been ripped from his day sleep, and before he even realized what was happening he was already across the room and opening the door.

He took a deep breath, and growled. Alex's scent was acidic with terror, and he moved his hands in firm strokes down her back to calm her racing heart. It must have been her scent that called to him to awaken, a vampire's instinctual response to a Fated Mate's fear. Perhaps it was only his advanced age that allowed him to respond, considering he could tell that his son, grandprogeny, and Isabel still slept the day away. How they could not smell the waves of distress Alex gave off, confounded him.

Unable to stand her fear, the purr rumbled from deep in his chest as he whispered to her words in a language long forgotten by humans. Soft, caring words that promised protection. Carefully, he pressed his power around her, blanketing them both and creating a barrier between them and the rest of the nest. He took stock of her appearance, and was relieved that she seemed unhurt, although her socks made his lips quirk in amusement.

"Firefly," he whispered into her hair, almost wishing she was susceptible to glamour so that he could immediately calm her. "You are safe."

She believed him, his words sinking deeply into her mind. Slowly her fear began to lessen, but she stayed leaning against his sturdy form. She felt ill and … violated. The hitch in her breath was slight, but Godric was so in tune with her body that he had even begun to mirror the cadence of her breathing.

"Are you ready to tell me whats wrong?" he asked after several minutes. He softly pushed the hair back from her forehead. "Did you have a bad dream?"

Alex gave a twisted laugh and leaned her head into his hand. "No, not a bad dream. Something woke me up, and when I turned over to go back to sleep this was waiting for me on my pillow. On my pillow, Godric! I woke up only a few minutes after it was taken." Anger now beginning to replace fear, Alex thrust out the now crumpled polaroid towards the waiting Sheriff. He tucked her firmly against his left side as he reached for the picture and she watched as his eyes scanned over the shadowy image of her sleeping in her bed. What was even more disturbing, what really freaked her out, was the obviously male hand in the bottom of the frame resting on the edge of her comforter.

"G-Godric," she said unevenly. "In the picture, the comforter is up to my waist … but when I woke up a few minutes later it was at the foot of the bed." She blinked her eyes hard, determined not to cry, and she buried her head in Godric's chest when he stiffened and his fangs ran out with a sharp _snick_. She was so distressed that the fact that he was shirtless didn't even phase her.

"What … what if he t-touched me and that's what woke me up?" She whispered her fear and knew that he heard her when he viciously growled. She stood still when he started taking deep, measured breaths, knowing what he was looking for. She tried to press even closer, wanting his scent on her and not whoever had invaded her bedroom.

Godric took another deep breath to quadruple check that there was no scent on her skin but her own. With two fingers under her chin he lifted it until he met worried brown eyes. "He never touched you," he said firmly, leaving no room for argument. He would hunt down the human who had dared to enter their nests, but if he had touched her then his death would take years and agony would become his only friend.

"What if he put on g-gloves or something?" she demanded, even as her gaze never left his. She let go of his waist and reached up to run her fingers across his brand, the feel of the raised scars on her fingers reminding her of his strength. He had survived ordeals she could not even imagine, and she would not shame herself by breaking into a thousand pieces in front of him over a stupid picture.

He allowed her touch, even leaning down slightly to make it easier for her, sensing that she drew comfort from his closeness. "My word as the Sheriff of Dallas, Alexandra, that the only scent upon your skin is that of your natural one, and the vetiver and cardamon soap you prefer. I smell no latex, leather, or other material that may be used to try and fool a vampire's nose."

For a brief, humming moment they looked into each other's eyes. "Alex, you will remain here and locked in my room while I go inspect Theron's nest." Godric held back a shiver at the force of the sun on his aching body, the sensation difficult to ignore. He would need to feed later, although the thought disgusted him.

"No."

Godric froze, and he looked wryly down at the stubborn girl with a look that had caused many a multi-century-old vampires to break.

"What?" Alex demanded, and took a step away from Godric, although she kept one hand firmly clenched in his. "He could break into our nest, Godric! Granted my room is meant for a donor or pet so doesn't have the second numeric lock, but whoever it was has to know what he was doing! This place is like the National Treasury with all it's fortifications. What if they have silver and you're all by yourself?" Her look turned mulish. "I promised you I wouldn't let anyone hurt you!"

Godric's lips quirked. Some human, or even Supernatural, hurt him? It was sweet, but there was no way he was letting Alex follow him into Theron's nest, even though Godric could sense that whoever had been there had gone. That did not mean, however, that there were no traps left behind.

"Don't you laugh at me, Godric," Alex demanded hotly, with her hands on her hips. She saw his eyes flick to the door behind her and her hand shot out to grip his wrist. "Please don't do what my family does. I know you could move so fast that I would be locked in here before I could say a word, but don't my opinions count? Shouldn't my wishes mean something?"

Godric froze, his eyes intent on hers. He _had_ been considering just leaving her locked in his room, but knew that she would see it as the worst sort of betrayal. "You will not move from my side, is that understood?"

At her promise, he picked her up and within a blink was at the door to her nest's suite. He quickly put in the code, Theron having given it to him in case of an emergency, and the next instant had them in her room.

The lights were still blazing, but Godric could smell where the man had stood in the room. Where he had touched the comforter now half-draped across the floor, and where he had hidden in her closet. His nose practically burned with the scent of patchouli and he fought back a human-like sneeze at the atrocious odor. However, it was the message scrawled across the wall in red ink that made his rage increase and his arms tighten around his precious cargo. Anger the likes of which he had last felt at her kidnapping ten years ago filled him with a deadly intent.

"What's wrong?" Alex asked from the safety of his arms, her own wrapped around his neck as she took a cautious look around her room. His body felt cool against her own, and she tried really hard to ignore how much smooth skin pressed against her own body.

She gaped at the message, her eyes wide in shock. Her closet door was open, and she shuddered when she realized that the man had indeed hid within it while she was running towards Godric.

"Godric, the closet door was shut when I left the room," she whispered fearfully.

"I know, I can smell that he was in there. Unfortunately whoever hired, or glamoured, the human to do this knows about how patchouli hides a person's natural scent. Not even I can smell past that noxious odor."

She trembled and burrowed closer to Godric as they left her nest, moving quickly back towards Godric's suite.

Before she could say anything, her vampire had gently removed her hands from around his neck and placed her on her feet next to the couch. "Godric?"

"Shh, Alexandra," he hushed. "It is early yet, and I can smell your exhaustion. You will sleep out here, and I will guard you." He also needed to guard his bloodline from intruders, and he could best do both from the living room. Luckily whoever had broken into Theron's nest had left the locked vampire rooms alone, but Godric would take no chances. He left and was back before she realized it with the comforter from his bed, and he wrapped it around her body. Without saying anything he sat on the couch and put a pillow on his lap as he gently guided her down to rest.

"What about you?" she asked sleepily, and buried her nose in the blanket. It smelled like him, and every muscle in her body relaxed. "It's so early," she worried, "and you're bleeding."

He ignored the fire burning through his veins as the sun increased its pull. It was only 12:30 in the afternoon, and there would be at least three more hours before the agony would lessen its grip. He had dealt with worse over the 2000, although his little Firefly did not need to know such things. "It does not hurt, little one."

"I'm not little," she slurred as sleep began to pull her back into its grip. She curled up into a ball and nuzzled her nose against his stomach, a sigh leaving her as his hand came down to brush against her hair. She managed to dig an arm out of her cocoon, and slipped her hand into his. Tomorrow she would talk to her dad since there had to be a way to force their enemy into the open. If some cowardly vampire that hid behind humans to attack them thought that he or she could scare her away from spending her first Christmas with Godric, then that vampire was destined to be surprised. She was of the Makhaira bloodline, and she was no coward!

Determination filled her, and she gripped Godric's hand tighter. No, she would not let some bully scare her away from him. She stared through half open eyes up at her vampire's handsome face and repeated, "I'm not little." She may not be as strong as a vampire, but she had her own strengths that vampires lacked, and she could help them with their hunt.

Godric smiled, her actions and words reminding him of when she was a child in his nest. "Of course not, little Firefly," he teased. He watched as her breaths evened out and she fell asleep, her lashes dark against her pale skin. She was physically unharmed, and he would guard her rest until the nest awoke. Even though Theron was older than Eric, the other Ancient had never been graced with the gift to rise more than an hour before sunset. Perhaps early risings were a gift of Godric's own line, but he would be Calling his son as soon as possible.

He leaned his head back on the couch and expanded his aura out several feet in either direction of the nests. No one would be able to come near without him knowing. The message on her wall filled his mind with unaccustomed fear, the words imprinted forever in his memory.

'_With your nest dead for the day__— _

_who will be there to hear your screams?__'_

Plans spun as the time moved every closer to sunset. They had a human to find, a vampire to hunt down, and he still had to inform Alex that she would be leaving Chicago immediately. It deeply hurt that his time with her would be cut so short, but it was for her own good. The next day was Christmas Eve, and if a flight could not be found there were other untraceable ways she could leave the city. Money could, and would, clear multiple avenues for her to disappear and he had more than enough to guarantee her safety.

She whimpered in her sleep, and he automatically ran his hand soothingly over her tangled hair. Yes, he was sure that after what just happened she would leap at the chance to leave Chicago, and the bad things that had happened to her since she had set foot in this cursed city, behind.

He locked his disappointment and pain away. It would be the best, the only, Christmas gift he could possibly give her.


	12. Chapter 10C

**A/N: So ****… ****remember how I said that this was the last chapter to take place in Chicago? Yeah. About that. Blame Godric and Alex. They took control of everything, and then suddenly it was 19K words long. What can I say but that Alex is 15 and moody and Godric is Ancient and stubborn, and they ganged up on me. There is one more chapter after this (for real this time, promise!) and vast chunks of it have already been written. **

**As an aside to the Eric lovers out there, when reading this chapter, think kindly of him. He is NOT the bad guy in this story (not even close), and he has very legitimate concerns that are (right now) influencing his actions in negative ways. All will be well, I promise. **

**Thank you to everyone who puts up with my slow updates (blame my real life), and who takes the time to read and/or review. You guys rock! Also, another thanks goes out to several ladies who help me herd my plot flamingos into more or less one direction, and put up with my crazy. **

**I don****'****t own True Blood, which still really makes me sad. If I did, Godric would never have died. Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 10C**

_Chicago  
__The Waldorf Astoria Hotel_

"Fucking babysitting duty. I'm a Viking, not a damned nanny!"

The angry words drew her awake, and Alex blinked sleepy eyes, confused about why she couldn't move. Memories from the night before crashed through her mind, and she panicked.

"Ow!" She hit the floor still wrapped up like some human burrito in what she now remembered was Godric's comforter.

"Having problems, Little Cupcake?"

Alex scowled and managed to wiggle her way out of the dark blue blanket-turned-burrito-wrapper and scowled up at the grinning Viking leaning over the couch.

"Thanks for the help, Eric."

Eric smirked at the sarcastic words and the serious case of bedhead the girl had. "You look like a refugee from an 80's headbanger band."

Alex's hands immediately went to her hair, and she desperately tried to smooth it flat as she got to her feet with as much dignity as her fifteen years gave her. "Um," she looked around the otherwise empty room, "where's Godric?"

"Dealing with your problems. Again."

Alex froze in the middle of folding Godric's evil blanket. "Excuse me?"

"Yes?" he asked with forced politeness, purposefully poking at the ruffled human. He had not appreciated being forcibly awakened by his Maker, only to come out and see Godric practically cuddling the kid. No, he had not liked the soft look that Godric gave the sleeping girl, and every instinct he had told him that trouble was brewing. Granted, he didn't believe that his Maker had any designs on the girl— she _was_ only fifteen, and in this century was still considered a child —but what if someone outside of the bloodline had walked in on them? All it would take was the start of one rumor, and his father would be in front of the Council on charges of interfering with a Fated Mate.

Only the True Death would be the possible outcome from that.

No. Eric would _never_ allow such a thing to befall his father. The last thing Godric needed was some idiotic vampire looking to gain a reputation using this odd fondness he had for Alex to their personal gain. For fucks sake, one of the other reasons for Theron to continually move his nest was so that no Ancient could accuse another of attempting to stack the decks in their favor when it came to the girl's eventual mating. Alex was watched much more closely than she was aware of, as jealous eyes tried to determine any clue to who her mate could be.

An idea bloomed, and he surreptitiously checked his bond with his father to see if he was paying attention to their conversation.

A few seconds later, Eric carefully closed his side of the bond. He found that what he was about to do was surprisingly unpleasant, but it needed to be done, and he had the prime opportunity to drive a permanent wedge between the two. He had studied the girl the last few nights, and while she had impressive control for a hormonal teenager, she was still young and easily manipulated. He either needed to convince her that his Maker cared little for her, or he needed to get her angry enough to lose control. If he timed it just right, her breakdown would happen in front of Godric, and if there was one thing that most disgusted his father it was a lack of self-control and respect.

Yes, he decided, this plan was foolproof, and would work nicely.

"What do you mean 'again'?" Alex demanded with a puzzled frown. She felt off-balanced, the echo of last night's terror still at the front of her mind. She was so tired and wished she could curl back up and sleep for longer. She fought off a blush, her mind wandering back to how nice it had been to sleep with her head pillowed on Godric's leg, breathing in his scent on her blanket and knowing she was completely safe. She trusted him, and it was a wonderful feeling to know that he also cared for her.

"Well," Eric pointed out. "You've run to Godric to fix your problems when you were five, ten, and thirteen years old. Then there was the incident at the restaurant where your foolishness almost got you kidnapped, and he defied the order that there would be no killing in Chicago during the summit. Then," Eric forced a sneer at the completely shocked looking girl, "he helped you again last night. You do realize you have your own nest to aid you, correct? Or do you have such a lack of faith in your adopted family that you would disrespect them in front of their allies?"

Alex's jaw dropped as she struggled to make sense of what was going on. "What? I-I don't—"

"I also find it interesting," he interrupted coldly, "that you ran from your nest last night, leaving your father and brothers vulnerable." He felt like the bastard he was pretending to be, since he knew that it was far smarter for the girl to run than to try and take on an untold number of enemies.

Alex flinched as if struck, her face going sickly pale. "T-they were behind l-locked doors," she weakly justified, her stomach dropping. Why was Eric doing this? Was he right? Had she dishonored her family? Was she a coward by running away? She didn't have any weapons to defend herself in her room. She had just been so scared, and her first instinct had been to find Godric.

Eric felt his father's end of the bond fill with satisfaction, and mentally cursed. Time was running out. "Right. So what if the attacker had managed to gain entrance to _this_ nest when you opened the connecting door? You put us all at risk, _human_," he sneered.

"I … I …" She didn't know what to say, how to explain what she had done. She hadn't thought about what would happen if she had been followed after putting in the code to their suite, or that she was putting anyone else in danger.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. The vampire world was an unforgiving place for mistakes, and the social rules were many and very complicated to learn. "I didn't m-mean—"

Eric interrupted again, forcing himself to continue to rip her apart. "You risked my father and my progeny because of your thoughtlessness," he snarled, "and you believe that 'sorry' can fix that? What if whoever decided to terrorize you staked us in our sleep? Staked my _Maker_ in his sleep? Do you really think that Godric is happy about your carelessness?" It was, he knew, a low blow as the girl couldn't know that Godric was old enough to immediately wake if anyone came close while he slept.

He watched as her distress increased, and her eyes grew shiny. Damn it, he didn't need her crying, he needed her furious and out of control. At the very least he needed her to doubt whatever 'friendship' she thought she could possibly have with a 2000 year old vampire. He refused to think that Godric could view a human, even a Fated Mate, as something so plebeian and weak as a _friend_.

"Is that how you would repay Godric?" he asked. "By having him staked in his sleep because he trusted a weakling with the codes to the outer rooms of our resting place? You know, I've watched you since our first night in Chicago," he said so softly only the two of them could hear. "All you do is bounce around and play like we are not all risking out immortal lives to figure out who wants you dead. I truly wonder why Theron and his children bothered to take you in you all those years ago. If they wanted a human pet, then there are so many better candidates out there."

Eric watched as Alex grew pale and distraught. Damn it, why wouldn't she just break so he could stop saying these things to her? "You truly are selfish … and it's no wonder my Maker wishes to be rid of you."

She jerked as if he had physically struck her when he said that Godric didn't want her to spend time with her. Old fears reared their head, the belief of always being on the outside looking in, never human enough or vampire enough to be with either group.

No.

She pushed the thought away, ashamed that she thought Godric would ever act like that towards her. Eric had to be wrong that he was trying to send her away. He wouldn't do that to her, not again. Not after last time… would he? A sliver of doubt wormed its way into her mind, and she wrapped her arms around her stomach. Eric was Godric's Child and had a bond with him … so he knew what his Maker felt … Anger and hurt swirled within her, and she glared at the Viking.

Eric growled low in his throat. Finally, he had found the key to getting her angry. He shoved away the memories of her anguished cries as a five-year-old child when she had to leave Dallas, and the awful look in her eyes now that so mirrored that night ten years ago. This was for Godric, and it had to be done. Forgetting the danger, he took a reflexive breath and almost choked on the scent of pain and confusion in the room.

He quickly continued as he could feel his father's business coming to an end. "My Maker must truly pity you to still help you after you selfishly keep embroiling him in your problems. It is either that, or he must owe some sort of debt to Theron to continually put up with you. Have you ever even thanked him with anything of worth? You weaken your adopted bloodline, and you weaken my Maker as well."

Alex glared at the ground as the Northman's words flowed over her, the echo of every fear-filled thought she had ever had. "You're wrong," she snapped, and raised her chin stubbornly. "Godric would never treat me like he has if I was just some … some _obligation_." Desperately, she reminded herself of the fireflies and message he had once sent her, and the flowers he had given her when she was ill.

Eric laughed, the sound harsh. "He is a 2000 year old vampire, silly mortal. He could lie directly to your face and you would never even know. I've seen him charm mortals older and smarter than you into doing as he wished. Do you really think your paltry fifteen years, and what amounts to only a few days of real interaction, give you some sort of insight into one such as he?"

No. This was wrong, the _Viking _was wrong, and Godric would not betray her like this. He knew how much it had hurt to be sent away, he would not do so again. Yet … what if he really had only dealt with her because of her dad? She had tried to make friends with other vampires in the various Courts her family had visited, but when they moved on none bothered to keep in contact with her. After a while she had just stopped trying, and threw herself into her various studies and classes. The idea of Godric only pretending to be her friend, like those children in Rio all those years ago, made her want to throw up. It wasn't true, she stubbornly decided. He gave her the nickname _Firefly_, and called her that when they were alone, and his eyes had turned soft and warm from something she had said or done.

"You're wrong," she said again. How could Eric even think to try and convince her that Godric wanted to get rid of her? She worked so hard to be worthy of her family, to stand on her own two feet, and he spat in her face because she still needed help? She was only fifteen! She was a human who was learning how to survive in a world where everyone was older, faster and stronger than she would ever be. She had shown Godric how much she appreciated him, and he had to know how much she cared for him.

Right?

Uncertainty filled her. He did know, didn't he? She knew the type of items given to Ancients, had seen the priceless artifacts gifted to her father, and the ones he had given to others in return. She blushed bright red, thinking of the silly stuffed bear named after him, her childish drawings, and the lopsided handmaid sheriff's badge. Even her Christmas gift was not on the level of what he had to be used to. She was so angry with herself for overlooking this key part of vampire culture, but it wasn't like she was super old with lots of money.

"Eric … why are you being so mean? Godric wouldn't try and get rid of me, and he knows how grateful I am for his help!"

"No," he said coldly. "I am not wrong, as you will learn when he returns."

For the first time, Alex went on the attack, her temper making her eyes spark. "It sounds to me like you're questioning the Head of your Line, and his decision to spend time with me and to help my nest. If you have a problem with that, maybe you should take it up with the two Ancients." An idea hit her. "Or maybe you're just jealous that Godric likes to spend time with me? That's pretty lame, Eric."

"Don't be stupid. You are just a human, so being jealous of you would be foolish," Eric growled, for once happy that she did not know that she was much more than some replaceable blood bag. "My Maker is an Ancient, feared the world round for his battle prowess, and respected for his wisdom. Kings and Queens come to him for advice, you little infant. He has more to do at this summit then deal with your childish antics and perpetual life-threatening situations. He defied the call of the sun to guard you, and now he is badly weakened and refuses to feed even though we are surrounded by enemies. Instead of preparing for his meetings, he's on the phone trying to find a secure method for _you _to leave Chicago tonight. Isn't it obvious that he wishes you away so he can concentrate on actually important matters?"

"I'm not 'just a human' you stupid baboon!" Alex shouted, striking out in her pain. "I'm a _person_!"

She paused, and replayed part of what he had just said. "Wait, what? He said he was fine, that it wouldn't hurt him to stay up."

Frantic, she took a few steps towards the blond vampire, the questions pouring from her one after the other. "Is he okay? Why isn't he feeding? Why haven't you called a donor? Would he drink from a bag? Should I warm one up for him? What's his favorite flavor? Does he like negative or positive blood more? What does —"

Eric growled, the sound causing her mouth to snap shut. "He's currently tossing around thousands of dollars to try and get you out of the city. The human holiday and bad weather has created a challenge … but he is determined for you to go away."

Alex opened and closed her mouth, but nothing came out. Pain and deep anguish burned in her chest, but part of her still held on to the belief that Godric would not give up the last few days they would have together.

"He's not my dad, he can't just decide to send me away," she whispered. Her chest throbbed, the ache dull but getting sharper every second. Why did it feel like something was tearing inside of her as if it were being pulled from the roots?

Eric snorted, and pushed away every instinct that demanded he stop. It was far, far too late to go back now. "You think that Theron will go against Godric over this? After what happened today? I saw the message on the wall. Cupcake, you'll be lucky to have enough time to pack. It's the perfect excuse for getting away from you."

The completely stricken and heartbroken look on her face made him feel … it made him feel things he had repressed since the death of his family so many centuries ago. This was wrong on so many levels, but he would go against every shred of honor he had and rip the world asunder, as long as Godric stayed away from this girl. His eyes caught again on her shimmering Fated Mate marks, but before he could say anything more, the suite's door opened.

Godric stepped through and paused, his nose flaring as he took in the scents and tension in the room. Alex was upset and stressed, understandably so after her experience the night before, but for some reason his son's scent was also oddly conflicted. There was something wrong … but he ignored it, fully focused on making sure Alex would get safely away.

"Good, you've awakened," he said calmly as he moved towards his bedroom. "I've managed to secure a way for you to leave the city," he told her distractedly, his mind on the logistics of getting her out of Chicago and away from danger. He would not let her be harmed because of his incompetence and oversight. "You will be leaving one hour after your father rises."

Alex shot a look at Eric, and at his 'I-told-you-so' smirk she lost the last shred of hope, the betrayal cutting her to the core. Her heart ached with the knowledge that he wanted her away from him, and anger clouded her mind.

"No."

Godric paused on his way to his room to get dressed for the day. "I beg you pardon?"

Eric rocked back on his heels, his hands shoved in his pocket as he watched how his manipulations played out. He could tell the girl was on the edge, and it would not take much for her to tip over.

Alex narrowed her eyes at Godric's tone and cocked her hip, attitude in every line of her body. "'No' as in 'I'm not leaving Chicago', Godric."

"Yes," Godric replied softly, as grey eyes clashed with stubborn brown. "You are. It is the only way to keep you safe."

"No-pe" She made doubly sure to pop the 'p', and crossed her arms over her chest. She was hurt and definitely didn't mind letting him know it. How dare he just make decisions for her like this! He had tossed her aside before when she was a kid, and if he didn't want her to bother him he could damned well tell her point blank instead of using this as some lame 'way to protect her'. She was a big girl, and although it would be painful, she would keep her distance from him. She may have been too young last time to stand up for herself, but she wasn't a little kid anymore. The idea of going back to the loneliness she had felt before Chicago was horrifying.

Godric's eyes narrowed, although he kept his voice ominously calm. "Alexandra—"

It was the last straw.

"Don't you 'Alexandra' me! I can't believe you would send me away. Again! Are you that sick of me?" she demanded, struggling to hide her anguish. "If its because you're tired of dealing with me and my … my _problems_, then just let me know. If it's because you think I don't appreciate you helping me, I do! If you just don't want me around, I can stay away. You don't even have to know that I'm here. Just don't lie to me about it!"

She blinked, and Godric was in front of her, his cold hands softly cupping her chin as he urged her to stand up straight. He kept his hands there, making sure that she could not evade his gaze. Her face was blank, but her eyes … no, she was not able to hide her emotions there.

"Firefly," Godric said, ignoring his uncomfortable progeny behind him. "What would make you think such heinous things? You must leave for your protection and I am … honored, truly, that you would come to me for aid."

For a moment her heart soared … but then it crashed to the ground when she remembered what Eric had said. No, he was just being kind to her, probably because her dad was a friend of his and they were an allied nest. Why else would someone as smart and wonderful as he want anything to do with awkward and boring her? Eric said that even royalty asked for his opinion, so what could a fifteen-year-old mortal have to offer in comparison to that?

Godric's gaze narrowed when he saw her eyes flick behind him to his suspiciously quiet progeny, and made a mental note to have a _chat_ with his son later. Something had caused Alex to get so worked up, and he was suspicious of just what the two had spoken of while he was elsewhere.

"This is for the best, little one." The need he had to make her see this, to convince her that it was nothing she had done, was unbelievably strong. Surely she knew he did not come to such a decision lightly? That he would miss her? Subconsciously needing to soothe, his thumbs traced lightly across the delicate curve of her jaw.

Alex gritted her teeth at the nickname, and jerked her face away from his hands. She didn't see his look of hurt, her own pain almost bringing her to her knees as her head felt like exploded in agony. All she heard was that he was sending her away again, and it brought back the horrific memories of when she was five, and how much it had felt to be so casually thrown away. The pain of being ten and waking up in the hospital to find that he would no longer be able to read to her from their book. The deeply buried sorrow of thirteen, and knowing that she would still not be able to talk to him.

"I can help if I stay here. It's not fair!"

Godric's eyes hardened, his expression stern. "Life is not fair. You must do as you're told, Alexandra. It is for your own good."

She changed tactics, hoping to find something to get him to relent. She didn't know where the desperation came from, but she couldn't go yet. She just _couldn__'__t_. She wasn't ready to leave the happiness she had felt since arriving in Chicago. The burning in her chest throbbed with the beating of her heart, and her eyes began to ache as the light made her headache worse.

"If I leave the city," she said, "we could lose what could be our only chance to find out who wants to kill me so badly." She paused as an even more horrific thought occurred to her. "Would we even be able to talk anymore?"

His silence answered her, and it tore into her deeper than even a werewolf's claws. Oh gods, it hurt so much. Was this what a panic attack felt like? Eric was right, he didn't want to be friends anymore and this was her proof. He was once again willing to send her away, not caring that it meant an end to their talks.

Bitterness tasted like the ashes of hope upon her tongue, and her stomach twisted. "Why is it," she asked tightly, her eyes flashing, "that you never care about what I think? Do you hate me that much? Am I that horrible of a person that you don't even want to talk to me? You always give the excuse that its for 'my own good,' but I think its just because you just don't want to tell me the truth. No, I think you're being a … a … dishonorable, backstabbing _liar_ who is just like those kids in Rio, and everyone else who pretended to be my friend!"

The world stilled as those word, those horrible words, practically echoed in the deathly quiet room. Appalled at herself, Alex slapped a hand over her mouth, realizing that she had gone too far. To call an Ancient a liar, to question their honor in such a way, was tantamount to asking for your throat to be ripped out.

The air went frigid and Alex's wide gaze flew to the growling Viking's arctic gaze. It wasn't that, however, that made her shake. No, it was the blank face and unapproachable look that Godric gave her, his hands clasped behind his back.

Their eyes connected, and she cringed. This stone-like and emotionless being wasn't her Godric. The softness and warmth she was used to seeing in his eyes was gone, and all that was left was the untouchable Sheriff of Dallas. Something slid away from her, and she trembled when she realized it was the comfort of his power that had been wrapped snuggly around her since their very first night in Chicago.

She gasped, the sudden pain enough to make her want to vomit. She felt so alone, similar to how she had felt for the last ten years, but now so much worse. Nausea rolled in increasing waves. Oh gods, what had she done?

"Godric … I … I …"

"Daughter." The word was snapped from behind her. "Attend."

She flinched, her shoulders curling inwards as she turned to the door that led to the two nest's shared common room. Her father and brothers were there, and she paled at the expression on her dad's face. Distantly she was aware that Isabel and Pam had also risen for the day, and stood motionlessly in their doorways, their faces blank.

"Dad—"

"Do not shame your nest more by arguing with me."

She bowed her head, and with a last agonizing look at Godric's blank expression, she walked over to her father and meekly followed behind him. She blushed at the disappointed looks her brothers gave her, and bit her lip when even Josiah turned away.

How could she possible fix this?

* * *

They walked into her bedroom, and her father stared at the message scrawled by the intruder across her wall. After a tense moment, he turned to face her, his hands crossed across his broad chest and his blue eyes cold.

"Do you realize what you have done, Alexandra Makhaira?"

Alex's eyes closed tightly at his disappointment. "I … yes, father. I'm sorry, I-I just got so angry." Her excuse was lame, and she knew it, but it had just _hurt_ so much.

"So because you were not getting your way you decided to insult a vampire that outranks me, that is an ally to our nest, and who has also protected you multiple times over the years. Has protected you," Theron's voice was cool and disgusted, "without asking for any payment in return."

"No! I mean, um, I didn't mean to … and it hurt … and I had a bad night … and I don't understand … my head hurts so badly… and then Eric said … he said … mean … and I didn't believe him … but then Godric said … and t-then—" she broke off gasping, her broken and tear muffled voice making little sense to her now concerned father. "He was going to send me away!" she sobbed. "Again! He p-probably wouldn't even have said g-goodbye." Her voice choked off into a sad whisper. "Just like last time."

She felt like she was one push away from shattering, the tearing in her chest making her want to run as fast as she could to escape. This was worse than when she had yelled at Godric when she was thirteen and told him she hated him. Guilt ate at her stomach and she bit back tears, unable to quiet her ragged breathing.

She was so consumed by misery that the gentle touch on her crown of her head surprised her. Her eyes flew to her father's, and her lips trembled at his compassionate expression. The words tore from her throat.

"Daddy … I really messed up, didn't I?"

"Yes, Alex, you did." The cool hand continued to stroke over her hair, and Alex struggled to not think about how another's hand had soothed and guarded her all through the day while she slept. Perhaps Eric had been wrong? If Godric didn't care about her, if she was just an obligation or annoyance, then why would he bother to calm her fear like that? Hope, frail and whisper thin, began to shine through the agony.

"Daughter, why did you not come to me with your desire to stay in Chicago? Godric may currently lead the two nests, but it is I who am your father."

"Would you have listened to me after what happened today?" she asked. His silence was her answer and she looked up into his eyes. "Nobody cares about what I want."

He blinked, surprised. "Alex—"

"No," she interrupted. She was already in trouble, what did it matter if she actually said what she had longed to say for the past year as the restless feelings and the _need_ to be elsewhere started to eat at her? "It's always 'Alex we have to leave' or 'Alex, don't get too comfortable because we wont be here long'. Yeah, I've lived in a lot of countries and I know I'm lucky, ok? But I want a home. I … I want …"

The vampire stared at the clearly upset girl. How had he not known she felt so strongly about this? Why had she hidden it for so long? _How_ had she hidden it? "What do you want?"

_Dallas._

The unspoken answer was immediate, and was one of her deepest and most heartfelt wishes. She wanted to go _home_, to go back to Dallas. She had already looked at photography schools there, but she guessed she would need to look for a place to live since she doubted Godric would want her to be part of his nest now. Would he even allow her in his Area?

She bit her lip and shot a glance at her dad, worried for a moment that she had blurted her plan out loud. Her father's expression didn't change, so she assumed she had managed to keep from embarrassing herself. She just … as much as she loved her dad, she just wasn't ready to tell him how she felt about his oldest friend. Not yet, anyway. _She_ didn't even understand everything she wanted and hoped for, her emotions a jumble that made her head and heart hurt too think to much about.

"Alex?"

She glanced away, then reluctantly met his eyes. "I want to be able to stay somewhere for more than a few months. I want to find out what it is to be … to be whatever I am."

Theron's brows furrowed, and he reached out to take her hand. "Daughter, you are human."

"Am I?" she asked. "I've been raised by vampires, Dad. I learned how to think and react to the world around me by watching you and my brothers. Don't get me wrong," she added hurriedly at his troubled look. "I love the life I've had with you! It's just … I'm practically a vampire trapped in a human body and … I think thats why humans don't like me. Maybe thats why G — why Sheriff Godric doesn't want me around. I'm a … freak."

Her eyes were wide with misery as she looked up at him, wishing she was still young enough to believe that he could fix everything. "I know you've seen it, how most humans can't even stand to be near me. I think they can sense that something about me is … wrong. I'm not a vampire, b-but I'm also not a human. Not really, not where it counts." Several minutes went by, and she sat there, her ragged breathing the only sound in the room.

Finally, she whispered, "Eric says I keep taking and taking from his Maker without giving anything in return." Tears slipped down her cheeks and she roughly wiped them away with the palms of her hands. "The S-Sheriff must think I'm such a horrible person."

Alex sat on her bed and wrapped her arms around her drawn up knees. "I'm so stupid and selfish, and I never thought that maybe he didn't want to help me. No wonder his bloodline hates me so much."

"You are not a bad person, and you are not selfish," Theron said firmly as he wrapped his arms around his fragile daughter in a tight hug. The Viking and he would be having a chat later about Eric's words to his youngest. "Do not speak so badly of yourself. You are young, and you will make many mistakes as you age and grow. Nobody is born wise, child. I will not have you think badly of yourself. As for Godric," he paused for a moment. "I sincerely doubt he hates you. If he did, he would not have spent time with you, no matter what alliance he may have with me."

He rubbed her back, gently rocking from side to side as he waited for her emotional distress to ease. He had few memories of his mortal children, and his vampire progeny had been adults when he had Turned them. Nothing in the parenting books he had forced himself to read had explained how to deal with a situation like this. Did all Fated Mates feel so displaced? Was this why the gods always hid them away from vampires until they reached eighteen? Perhaps he should make time to speak with Talbot, and ask his opinion. He mentally sighed, how had a conversation about her behavior turned into this unexpected look into her heart's pain? Should he tell her what she was?

The words were on the tip of his tongue, but something held him back from explaining to her how very special she truly was. He was the selfish one, he realized as he stared into his daughter's downcast face, but he was not yet ready to let her go. She was still his little girl, and would be for at least a few more years. She would have an eternity with her mate, but his bloodline would only have a scant handful of years where she was theirs to guard and care for.

"Why did I say those horrible words?" Alex asked, her voice muffled from hiding her face in the comfort of her dad's shoulder. "He was so nice to me last night. Now Godr— Sheriff Godric probably never wants to talk to me again."

Theron listened, and if his heart could it would break at her woebegone tone. "I think some more lessons on controlling your temper are needed," he said wryly. After a pause he asked, "You care a lot for the Gaul, don't you?" Vague worry and suspicion filled him at the thought, but surely his daughter knew that Godric only saw her as a child? The sheriff had been closed off and weary for the last few centuries, and Theron doubted much could touch his guarded heart besides his progeny.

Alex was quiet as she struggled on what to label her feelings for the Dallas sheriff. "He's my … friend. I … I don't have a lot of friends. None, really. Brian and George are nice, but you pay them to spend time with me so it's really not the same. I think if I had a mom she would have been like Isabel, so I can't count her either. Eric and Pam don't like me very much and I don't really know anybody else outside of our bloodline. The vampires we've met never seemed to really want to be near me. They only stared from a distance." She sadly looked down at her fidgeting hands. "I just always thought that at least I had one friend, you know? Someone who liked me for me, but now I've messed it all up."

Theron's suspicions eased, and he bit back a smile at her words. Trust his little daughter to look to one of the most feared vampires in history as a playmate and best friend. He forgot, sometimes, that his mortal child had very human needs of companionship. He was glad that his old friend was kind enough to put up with it.

"You need to apologize to Godric. He is the oldest in the two nests, and you treated him most shamefully," he said after he got his amusement under control.

She stiffened, but did not pull away. "He shouldn't have tried to force me to go."

"Be that as it may, you have been taught the correct ways to disagree with a nest leader. Instead, you allowed your emotions to rule you. You are not so much a child that your missteps can be easily overlooked, Alex."

Theron sat her back on the bed and stood, his eyes trailing over her rumpled appearance. "Clean yourself up, and then I expect you to apologize to Godric. Is that understood?" He paused for a moment, watching as the humiliated blush spread across her cheeks. "Alex, part of being an adult is realizing when you made a mistake, and then taking ownership of the repercussions. Growing up is never easy, child, but everything will work out."

He had turned to walk away when her shaky voice quietly asked, "Do you think he'll forgive me?"

Theron couldn't imagine the compassionate Sheriff not doing so, but she still needed to understand the full ramifications of her actions, and realize the value of how kindly Godric treated her. "Only time will tell. I suggest you make the apology as heartfelt as possible."

* * *

Alex stared at the door to the common room, and looked down at her clothes. She had quickly bathed and changed into her favorite outfit, hoping it would give her courage. The long sleeved, dark grey shirt was really soft from multiple washings, and she wore it with her favorite purple leggings. The fuzzy orange socks with pink stars didn't match, but she needed all the comfort she could get, and they always made her smile.

She was dizzy, and with a gasp of air realized she had actually forgotten to breathe. Gods above, she was so nervous, and she was sure her nest would have something to say about what she was about to do. She had gone through the book that her dad had made her, the one that detailed The Code. She knew what she was about to do was extreme, but she had to convince Godric that she hadn't meant what she said! She rubbed her forehead, the migraine making her want curl up in a ball. Before she could chicken out, she took a deep breath, and opened the door.

She stood in the doorway and stared out into the common room. Nobody even glanced at her, although she knew they had to hear her frantic heartbeat. Not even Godric looked at her from where he stood near Eric and her dad. The now constant pain pulled and twisted harshly as she realized how accustomed she had become to him always giving her a look or one of his barely-there smiles when they were in the same room.

Trembling, she drew up her courage and hastily wiped her sweating hands on her shirt. She saw the questioning look Josiah gave her, and imagined she probably looked ridiculous huddled against the door frame. She was a Makhaira, and she would regain her family's honor and show that jerk Viking that she was not weak.

With a nervous swallow, she began the long walk to Godric. Her legs felt like jelly, and the room seemed to get longer and longer with every step. She finally reached them and waited anxiously, shifting from foot to foot. She bit her lip when Godric still ignored her, his face turned away. Hoping for bravery, she glanced at her dad, relaxing when he gave a small and encouraging nod.

She looked back over at Godric and gave an awkward cough, but he continued to stay faced away from her. Okay. So obviously he was really upset with her. She could do this. She _had _to do this, even if he wouldn't look at her. What was that human saying? Oh, yeah, it was 'Go Big or Go Home'.

It was time to 'Go Big'.

It was now or never.

Alex took a step back and, with no hesitation, fell to her knees with her hands palm up on her thighs, exposing the veins in her wrists. It was the deepest form of apology a vampire could give according to The Code, and the most humbling. It was also one most vampires would rather have their fangs pulled than to give. With her head bowed, she did not see the brief look of horrified shock on Godric's face when he whirled to face her.

"Godr—Sheriff Godric of Texas," she started hesitantly, carefully picking her words. She wasn't very good at speaking ancient Tamil, the true language of The Code, and she really hoped she didn't mess it up. She could feel Gabriel's glare behind her, but she didn't care about the consequences of her actions. She had to get this right, she had to let him know how sorry she was. Even if he didn't think of her as a friend, she cared about him. She didn't want him to believe that she thought he was a horrible person.

"I apologize for m-my ill-thought out words earlier this eve. I beg that the shame of my offense reflect only upon me and not my adopted bloodline. If you wish for weregild, for repayment, let me be the one to shoulder that burden, be it either in money or in a favor to be used at any time during my life." With another deep breath for courage, she tilted her head sidewise, and bared her vulnerable throat to show the truth in her plea. If he wished to, he could rip out her throat with no repercussions from her family.

"I'm sorry," she whispered miserably in english, flushing when she peaked up and saw that everyone was staring at her in shock. She knew what she had done, and she would take whatever consequences this apology placed upon her.

The wait seemed to go on forever as her knees and back began to ache, and she could practically feel the seconds tick by as if they were years.

Why wasn't he saying anything?

* * *

While they waited for Theron and Alex to get done with their conversation, Godric had quietly revealed to the others what had occurred the night before. Alex's brothers were furious, but channeled their anger into determining how the advanced locks on the hall doorways had been bypassed and the security cameras turned off. Isabel was already on the phone talking with hotel security, and the complicated multi-locks used on the vampire doors would be installed on Alex's door within the hour. Eric had also contacted several local werepanthers who owed Theron a favor to stand guard over the hallways the next day, as they were the most difficult type of Supernatural for a vampire to glamour. With several of them, the chances of their enemy succeeding was beyond miniscule.

It was what he should have done the first night that he discovered she would be sharing a nest with him. The guilt of failing in that duty towards her would not soon, he knew, be forgotten.

There was little for Godric to do at the moment, and so he went into downtime as he reflected on what had occurred. Alex's words stung deeper than expected, and he admitted that her bad opinion had actually hurt. Oh, he knew she spoke mainly from anger, but he wondered if there were not a part of her that believed her own words. Had he not shown her through his actions that he valued her company over the past few days? Why would she think that he wanted to get rid of her? Eric was clearly avoiding him, but Godric knew he would eventually corner his progeny in private and demand to know what occurred when Alex woke.

He mulled over the situation and came to the conclusion that if she stayed in Chicago that he would be forced to keep his distance so as to better concentrate on keeping her alive and catching the vampire who wished to extinguish her light. He was sure she would understand, since he had found her to be both reasonable and thoughtful for her age.

Yet, he was also … wary.

His lips quirked in rueful amusement, and he was aware of his son's stare. He wondered what Eric would think if he knew that his 2000 year old Maker was concerned about caring too much for a little human girl. He had been called all manner of vile names during his long life, but the slurs had mattered little to him beyond giving a legal reason to assert his authority. If her relatively paltry words, ones he knew to be just temper, had the power to touch his carefully guarded heart … then obviously he was letting himself grow too attached. She would one day mate and bond with a vampire who would not be pleased with her friendship with Death. Perhaps this distance would serve a necessary dual purpose.

Yes, it was for the best, even though it was not what he personally wished.

Last night she had come to him first for comfort and protection, and his heart unwillingly softened at the thought. She had slept curled next to him, trusting him to keep her safe, her scent content and calm. She was such a dichotomy, a blend of human and vampire that he had never before encountered. She was young, but he could see the woman she would grow into, and knew that one day a vampire would be lucky to call her his mate. In order for her to have that chance, he needed to concentrate on keeping her safe. His distraction in her company had almost led her to being harmed— twice! —while in his care.

Even deep in downtime he was still aware of his surroundings, and part of his mind listened as Theron joined Eric a few steps away. The two obviously could tell that the Gaul wished to be left alone to his thoughts, and did not try and engage him in their conversation. This was a habit he had fallen into during the last few decades, that of being present in a room, but separated at the same time. With Alex he had fallen out of that habit, but found it depressingly easy to slip back into.

Theron sighed and nodded to Eric. "She is cleaning up, and has seen the error of her words. I suspect your Maker is about to receive one heartfelt apology. However," he shot a searching look at the Viking, "I do wish to have a chat with you later about what you said to her. She was so distressed that I hesitated to ask for further details lest she totally give in to tears."

Eric's blank face showed nothing of the guilt he felt, even though he was inwardly relieved by the girl's reactions. It had gone better than he had hoped. There was no way Alex could possibly apologize enough for Godric to forgive her despicable words. Even his Pam knew better than to ever speak in such a way, and she was often insolence personified. This was for his Maker's own good, he assured himself. Nothing mattered more than Godric, not even a rare Fated Mate since he knew she was not meant for his Maker. He wished that she was, but as much as he loved and respected his Maker, he knew there was no chance the gods would ever gift someone with such a contentious past with a Fated Mate.

Godric blocked Eric's poking at their bond, wanting to be left alone. He knew the moment that Alex appeared in the doorway, and he used the time to prepare himself. When she approached, he almost staggered at the strength of her scent, and from the corner of his eyes he could see the other vampires struggling to control their need to go to her. Quickly, he stopped breathing to take another moment to center himself. Before he could turn and listen to what he expected to be a rather emotional apology, she once again did the unexpected and proved she was more than just a normal human.

"Fuck."

Godric ignored his son's whispered profanity, his full attention on the kneeling girl before him. Not much shocked him at his age, but this? Yes, this most certainly did, and he watched in dread as she began a ceremony older than even he, and one that had ramifications that could last past a human's lifetime. Was she really going to—?

The words, spoken carefully in ancient Tamil, were … unexpected. He felt sick at how she degraded herself before him, but was required to hear her out before he could mitigate the damage. Did she truly think her error required this level of apology, one normally kept for the greatest of blood offenses? One that marked the vampire giving it with a stain that took at least two centuries to expunge? His heart, an organ he thought long dead, hurt at the misery he knew his decision would cause her.

"Rise to your feet," he said harshly, barely listening to the words as she needlessly humbled and shamed herself before him. She should never kneel before him, or for anyone else. "I accept your apology, adopted blood of the Makhaira lineage, and no reparation is needed. Let the insult be fully forgotten. It never occurred."

His hands ached to pull her to her feet, to wipe away the evidence of her tears, and to assure her of his continued care. He wanted to tell her that she was the bright spot in an otherwise dark existence … but he wished for her safety even more.

Alex shakily stood, and looked hopefully at Godric to see if his eyes had softened to the warm grey she was used to seeing from him. Her heart fell when she saw the blank look on his face, and realized that her apology had done little to fix what she had so thoughtlessly broken. She didn't know what to do, the twisting in her chest and head making her sway. He must have only accepted it because he didn't want to insult her dad. He still did not want anything to do with her, and that proved that Eric was right.

The knock on the door drew everyone else's attention away from her, and to where a courier was handing over a richly decorated envelope to Gabriel.

"What is it?" she heard her father ask, but she cared little for the reply as she thought of what she had done wrong in her apology. Was there something more she should have done, something she had forgotten from The Code? Did she mispronounce the words? Maybe she should have offered her blood instead? Her dad told her to never offer her blood, that it was not something a respectable human did to one not their companion and/or bonded. But … since it was for Godric who she had hurt because he had had to stay awake and guard her while she slept … surely it would be okay?

"… so you will have to stay in Chicago for the ball, Alex."

At hearing her name, she jerked and turned to face the rest of the room. "Huh?"

Gabriel growled. "Get your head out of the clouds, Alex! Tomorrow night, the Queen and Consort of Illinois has decided to give a 'Christmas Eve Ball.' As if most vampires bother to celebrate such useless trifles," he muttered. He looked at his still confused sister. "Your name is on the invitation, so for you not to go would be extremely rude."

"… I'm going to a party?" Alex blinked, thrown off her equilibrium even further. She was going to one of the galas she had begged her dad for years to take her to? Panicked, she turned to the one vampire she hoped wasn't upset with her. "Isabel, I don't have anything to wear!"

Pam sighed from where she was doing her nails, but the glance Godric shot her had her grudgingly offering, "We can go and find you the correct outfit so you don't further embarrass your nest." The girl was pretty enough so it shouldn't be too hard to find her something acceptable, although she didn't know why her grand-maker cared how the girl looked after her deplorable behavior. "Why did you not pack formal wear?"

Alex flushed hotly, embarrassed at what she was about to reveal to the glamorous female vampire, and in front of Godric. "I don't have any of that stuff," she muttered and looked down at her sock-clad feet. "I've never been to a formal ball before," she added shyly, excitement briefly overtaking her other emotions. She would get to go to the ball with Godric! She bet he looked so handsome in a tuxedo.

She smiled, lost in a happy daydream where he saw her in her gown and was blown away by how grown up she now was. He would ask her to dance, and they would spin and twirl the night away. He wouldn't laugh at her if she stepped on his feet, and would call her Firefly. Nobody had ever actually wanted to dance with her in her ballroom classes, but she just knew he would be different. Maybe she should ask George or Brian to practice with her tomorrow so she wouldn't embarrass herself?

Reality crashed when she beamed up at Godric, only to see his remote expression. There was no smile, no soft look that told her he cared. Her heart and chest ached as her daydream shattered into pieces at her feet since she knew that once again she would be re-enacting every dance class she ever had. Not even the teacher could force the boys to voluntarily partner with her for more than a single dance, and she had mostly stood against the wall, humiliated and miserable as she spent the entire time alone. Only Brian and George knew since she had always lied to her nest, and told them what a wonderful time she had at class. She was embarrassed enough without adding their pity. Knowing Gabriel, he probably would have glamoured the boys to dance with her, and that would have been even worse.

"Right," Isabel said. "Alex, go get a jacket and shoes, we need don't have many hours left tonight find you an appropriate outfit and accessories." She watched as the teenager scrambled to obey, and shot a covert look at her Sheriff as he left the room with the others to speak of the possible tactics they could use at the ball to find the identity of their enemy, and how to further secure the nests.

She was concerned about both of them. Alex had practically begged for forgiveness, and the Sheriff had barely reacted. What idea had he gotten into his head now?

* * *

_5 hours later_

Isabel, Pam and an exhausted Alex walked back into the common room, three bellhops staggering under the weight of several garment bags and other assorted boxes.

Alex looked wearily around the room, the only occupant a clearly busy Godric. She waited a beat, hoping that he would look up and smile at her. Or even just acknowledge the fact that she was there. Instead, he kept his gaze down on his paperwork, and her shoulders slumped.

"Thank you for helping me," she said softly to Isabel and Pam, the latter of which rolled her eyes and moved off towards the entrance to Godric's nest.

"Alex," Isabel said. "Would you like me to call your dayman to see about getting you some dinner?"

She shrugged listlessly. "No thank you, I'm not hungry. I think I'm going to go and …" her voice trailed off as she tiredly contemplated what she could go do, her head pounding in agony, "… I'm going to go do … something."

With bowed shoulders, she went to the entrance of her nest and wandered off to go take a shower in one of her brother's rooms since she wasn't ready to go into hers. Her head and chest ached, each hour causing it to get worse. She had already taken Tylenol but it didn't seem to help, and she wondered if she was coming down with a cold besides the normal period crap she had to deal with. The way her luck was going, she probably had Bubonic Plague.

After a quick shower, she hesitated and fiddled with the belt of her fluffy hotel robe in front of the door to her bedroom. She didn't want to go in there, didn't want to see the newly painted wall or go into her closet. The room scared her, and reminded her of what could have happened without anyone in the nest knowing about it until it was too late.

"Don't be stupid, Alex. There's nobody here, Godric wouldn't let anybody …" her voice trailed off when she realized that Godric probably wasn't concerned about her anymore. Gods above, she was so stupid. The feeling in her chest twisted so harshly that she almost threw up, and she leaned heavily against the wall.

She glared again at her bedroom door, and quickly went into her youngest brother's closet. Bennet was closest to her in size, and she could borrow a pair of his sweatpants and a shirt. A few minutes later she reemerged clad in a dark blue shirt and brown pants. They were really big, but she didn't care how much of a hot mess she looked, she just wanted to curl up and think.

Moving towards the couch, she plopped down and stretched out with her head on an armrest. She felt like she had zero energy, but she had to plot her next step. Not only did she need to figure out a way to get Godric by himself, but she also had to figure out exactly what she would say to her family. The apology she gave … well, it was extreme, and could have gone very badly for her if Godric had decided to not wipe away her offense.

Curled up on the couch, she turned her mind to what she was going to do about Godric. For a moment she was angry at him, before she had to face the fact that it really was her fault. Her dad had warned her that one day her temper would get her into trouble, and she was miserable to realize that he was right. Maybe if she managed to get Godric alone they could work things out between them? Did he want to work things out between them?

Alex blushed, the heat spreading across her cheeks and ears as she contemplated 'accidentally' meeting Godric after his shower … with him wearing only a towel. She blushed even harder and turned towards the backrest, pressing her hot face into the cool leather with an embarrassed giggle. He was just so gorgeous with those eyes and dark hair, and she sometimes found herself daydreaming about his mouth. She remembered how nice his arms had felt when he had carried her… and all his pretty tattoos would be on display … water trailing slowly down his firm chest … and his eyes would give her that soft look that she missed so very much as he reached a hand out to her …

* * *

Isabel glared at her Sheriff. She had seen the concerned look he had given the teen when she walked away, and Isabel was furious that he didn't go after Alex.

"Sheriff—"

"Let it be, Isabel," he interrupted quietly.

Isabel walked over and sat on the opposite couch. "Godric, please. She is miserable. She didn't eat all night, and said she wasn't feeling well. She's young, and doesn't understand why you've pulled away." She shook her head, deeply confused. "I don't understand it either! You've been called much worse by others, and have looked past the offense. She debased herself in front of you, in front of both nests to make up for what she said. You kept her from being dishonored, yet now you're treating her like she matters nothing to you."

She glared at her elder, extremely frustrated and worried about the discord between them. "Godric, you didn't see her tonight while we were shopping. She adores you, and she obviously thinks that what she did was unforgivable."

Godric repressed a sigh. Why could Isabel not accept the fact that it was better this way? Alex had come so close to being harmed because of his inattention. "She will be fine, Isabel. She is young and lively, and the ball will undoubtedly distract her from whatever unhappiness she feels from my absence. Surely she understands that I have other responsibilities? That we cannot afford any distractions?"

Isabel wanted to howl, and barely managed to withhold the unladylike noise. "Right. That girl hasn't forgotten you even after ten years, but you think she's going to be swayed by a silly ball? Do your really think anyone other than Russell Edgington could say anything to you if you chose to not attend every meeting?"

She paused for a moment, struck by something he had said. "Wait … Godric, her almost being kidnapped, and the intruder from last night, were not your fault. In fact, you saved her both times."

Godric's lips curved, but in no way was it a smile, and his eyes remained distant. "If I had not been so distracted I would have given more thought to our suite's defenses. Isabel, she was in one of the human rooms that did not even have the benefit of the locks and steel doors that ours do. That man could have done anything to her while she was sleeping and utterly defenseless. She had to ask me if he had touched her, and the look of fear on her face … No. I will not allow that to happen again. As for the kidnapping … I should never have allowed her out of my sight. So you see, it is my fault."

Isabel opened her mouth to argue further, when her Sheriff's displeasure filled the room and made her mouth shut with a click.

"I do not wish to discuss this further, underling. Please leave me. The Chancellor has asked me to overlook some of the paperwork for the preposed Authority, and I have much to do this night."

Isabel got to her feet, carefully smoothing imaginary wrinkles from her cream skirt. She turned to walk away, but paused at her door and looked back at her stubborn sheriff. "Godric, if she dies here, do you want her last days to be filled with thinking that you hate her? She is probably one of the loneliest people that I know, and Josiah tells me that he has never seen her as happy as she's been in Chicago. She is so fond of you, can you not spend just a little time with her? Explain things to her so she does not think you only played at being her friend?"

Godric's brow furrowed. "Isabel, she cannot possibly think that I hate her."

She shook her head with a sigh at the clueless male. "She's a teenage girl, and no matter how mature she is, she will not look at this logically. She wont see this as you trying to protect her, but that you either never truly cared, or no longer do care, about her. Something set her off tonight, something other than the stress of her intruder, and its obvious it brought up bad memories."

Isabel huffed at her Sheriff's emotionless look. "If you've ever cared about that girl, even a little bit, go talk to her. Explain why things are different now … because if she dies—" Isabel's voice hitched, and her eyes rimmed red. "—then you'll have the weight of knowing she spent her last days thinking that she had ruined your relationship with each other. That she meant nothing to you." She frowned down at her purple heels, her eyes distant. "I once did the same, and I regret, even hundreds of years later, of not telling my sister that I forgave her. Now it is much too late, and I will live an eternity with that regret."

Her eyes met his, and her smile was heartbreaking. "Please, Godric, do not make the same mistake as I."

Godric lowered the stack of papers once she was gone, papers he had ignored over the past hour. The words echoed through his mind, the very idea of Alex being dead, of her beautiful soul being extinguished …. his fangs _snicked_ down. No. _Never_. Not why he walked this earth would he let her be harmed where he could prevent it.

When she had returned with his grand-progeny and Second, he had almost leapt from his seat to rush to her side. She looked so unhappy, and he wanted to demand that she eat and rest. Perhaps she needed more chocolate cake? Or some sort of modern medicine? It was only through sheer willpower that he had kept his attention on his work, although he had been aware of each of her movements.

His head turned, and he glanced at the closed door to Theron's side of the nest. Her need practically pulled at him, and he cursed when he remembered her eyes when he had turned away. He could do it, he grimly decided. He could go in there and soothe her while still keeping the distance he needed from her. He just needed to remember to breathe through his mouth so her scent wouldn't change his decision.

He walked with human slowness to the door and quietly opened it. When his eyes fell on Alex, curled up facing the back of the couch and obviously deeply upset, his ancient heart broke.

"Alex?" he called softly, his worry increasing when her entire body tensed. He had to firmly tell himself not to touch her when she raised a flushed face towards him, obviously deeply distressed. Still, he was resolute on his decision. She had been attacked twice because he was distracted, and his attention needed to be fully on deciphering the identity of the vampire who wished to harm her.

Alex gasped. One minute she was fantasizing about seeing Godric in a towel, then he was there and calling her name. She looked into his eyes, but they were still guarded for all that he was actually in front of her. Her stomach sank like a stone. She knew that look, had seen it on the faces of the few humans who didn't seem to dislike her, but who also didn't want to hang around someone like her.

Desperately, she tried to stop what she knew was coming, the words pouring out of her mouth even though she knew they wouldn't do any good. "Are you still mad at me? I'm sorry, Godric. I'm really, really sorry. I don't think of you like that, I promise!"

He bit back a sigh, the hopeful look on her face making what he was about to do extremely difficult. "Alex, I forgave you the moment it occurred. If I held every temper filled remark against someone, then Eric would never have survived his first year as a vampire."

"Then why have you ignored me?" Alex winced when her voice broke. Could she be any more pathetic? Sometimes she really felt just how young and inexperienced she was compared to everyone around her.

"Alex, you know that this trip to Chicago was not designed for leisure, and you have twice already come far to close to harm."

She sat up on the couch and looked down at her interlocked fingers, viciously biting her lip to keep from saying anything. She knew what he meant, even though he was trying to be nice about it. He was important, and his vampire duties would always come before any friendship with a silly human girl who always managed to get in trouble.

Eric had been right, and she was just an unwanted obligation. Pain tore through her chest, echoing deep within her. She cringed as her headache increased and the light in the room seared her eyes. It had to be the stress getting to her, and the lack of sleep.

She took a deep breath, held it for a count of ten, and then slowly let it out as she struggled for control. She did it multiple times until the tremors in her fingers stopped, and she shoved everything she felt into a corner of her mind. She could smile and pretend everything was ok, it was something she had a lot of practice at.

It just hurt, and felt so wrong, that she had to do so with Godric.

With all the hard won skill her father had taught her, she made her face as blank and emotionless as a vampire's. She would have the same grace about this rejection as she had shown to every human who flinched from her, who had refused to even try and be her friend. She wouldn't blubber all over him like some little girl, begging for friendship he obviously didn't care to give. She was not some pet. She had been fine before she came to Chicago, and she would be fine again.

Perhaps if she said it often enough, she would begin to believe her own lies.

"I understand," she said quietly. She focused on his chin, unwilling to meet his eyes. "Sheriff, I'm very tired, I think I'm going to go to bed now." Without waiting for a reply, she walked into her newly fortified bedroom, and shut the door with a soft click, the locks falling into place.

The darkness pressed against her, and with fumbling hands she turned on every light in the room and opened up the closet doors to make sure she was alone. She hated this room, was terrified of being in it, but it was still better than having to sit out there on the couch with a smile on her face while pretending like he had not just ripped out her heart.

Curled up in a miserable ball on her bed, she closed her painful eyes against the light. She knew she wouldn't be able to sleep in this room, and the coming day promised to drag on for hours until her family rose and she had to once again pretend to be happy.

With clumsy fingers, she pulled her sketchbook onto her lap, and began to rip out page after page of storm photographs that she had taken over the years in her search for one that exactly matched his eyes.

It wasn't until the crumpled photographs littered the floor that she even realized her face was streaked with tears.

* * *

_The Next Night  
__Christmas Eve_

At 3:35pm, a surprised Godric woke from on oddly unrestful death sleep. A quick glance at the clock confirmed that he was up even earlier than normal. With the habits developed over 2000 years, he was immediately aware that no one had violated his resting place, and that both of his progeny still slumbered. It was odd, but he had more on his mind than contemplating why he was now awake.

He frowned up at the ceiling, the bedding cool against his naked flesh. At least this would give him some extra time to go over his backlog of paperwork before everyone rose. Theron had informed him that it was his family's tradition to open their gifts on Christmas Eve, and then both nests needed to discuss their strategy for the dance later in the evening. He was determined that Alex would come to no harm while under his care. Many covetous eyes would be on her, and he still needed to speak with Theron about his idea to keep them away.

With a sigh, he sat up in bed, the silk sheet pooling at his waist. He was concerned about Alex's abrupt departure, something telling him that not all was well with her. He had forced himself to stay awake late into the day in case she needed him or was afraid to stay in her room, but eventually he had allowed himself to sleep and conserve his strength. Obviously the guards outside the suite, along with the new security on her bedroom door, had adequately soothed any fear. Still, it had been surprisingly hard for him to rest, a nagging feeling continually prodding at him, as if he forgot something important.

After showering, the hot water unable to soothe his increasingly restless feelings, he hesitated in reaching for the jeans and t-shirt from the pile of clothes he had bought with Alex. No, he needed to focus on keeping her safe, and those clothes reminded him too much of the fun he had had with her, and how that had almost caused her kidnapping.

He did not deserve such happy memories.

Finally, clad in his normal white linen shirt and grey slacks, he exited his nest into the shared common room. He automatically looked for Alex, and told himself he was not disappointed at her absence. He had the perfect gift for her under the tree in his suite, and then there was the other one that he would give to her after he spoke with her father to gain his approval.

"Good evening," he said politely to Theron's day people.

George and Brian immediately straightened from their angry conversation and turned to the young looking Sheriff. Brian opened his mouth, but grunted when George dug his elbow into his side. With a sharp glare at his irritated husband, he ignored his less than subtle hint to shut up.

"Sheriff Godric?"

Godric was already on the couch with his laptop open, but he glanced up at the blond human male before turning back to the screen. "Yes?"

"What happened last night with Alex?"

Godric's fingers froze on the keyboard, and he turned his entire attention to the two males. "Why would you think she was unwell? After the previous night I would assume she has decided to sleep in."

Brian shared an uncomfortable look with a stone faced George. "Er … she was up and huddled in a ball on the couch when we got here at noon to drop off the packages Theron asked for. The guards outside the door barely let us in with them." He pointed at the brightly wrapped gifts stacked in a neat pile on the table. "I made Alex's favorite breakfast, but she said she 'wasn't hungry' and thirty minutes ago she locked herself back in her room. She didn't eat last night either, since her plate is still in the fridge."

Godric frowned. Why would she not wait for him, as had been their habit the last few days? If she had been afraid or worried, why had she not come to him? Surely she knew that while he needed to concentrate on keeping her safe, that he would not deny her comfort?

"You said that she has not eaten?" he asked quietly.

"No, and that girl rarely turns down one of my breakfast burritos. I'm pretty sure she would eat them for every meal if she could," Brian said. He carefully watched the young-looking vampire, remembering what his husband said about their charge's crush on him. He was very attractive, but Brian found his emotionless mask off-putting. Also, his eyes were just damned creepy. Alex was so exuberant, what did she find interesting about this rather placid vampire with the ageless eyes?

Godric went and knocked on Alex's door, and then knocked again when there was no response. After several minutes, he put in the code that he had demanded from hotel security before they installed the new locks, and blinked when he opened the door to the overly bright room. Every single lamp and light was on, he noticed with worry, and the scent was one of acute distress. He could hear the shower going, and quietly stepped back out of the room.

"She is bathing, and I imagine she will be out shortly. Leave her … breakfast burrito … and I will see that she eats," Godric ordered. He moved back to the couch, vaguely aware when the two humans left the suite, his mind fully on Alex.

Surely if anything was truly wrong, she would have told him?

* * *

It was not until an hour later that Alex's door finally opened. Godric looked up from the screen of his laptop, aware that he had done nothing productive for the last hour as he waited for the teen to join him. The strange feeling he felt had only increased, and he was restless and on edge.

When she finally emerged, dressed in jeans and an oversized blue flannel button down shirt obviously stollen from one of her brothers, he quickly rose to his feet, shocked at her exhausted appearance.

"Alex, are you unwell?" he demanded. Instead of her normal sunny smile, her eyes looked bruised, as if she had not slept for over a week. She was pale, and her entire body language was closed off. Not to mention she wasn't wearing his jacket. Every morning without fail she had worn it during their time together, and he frowned at its lack.

She stared at him for a moment, obviously surprised at his question. "I'm fine, Sheriff."

Before Godric could demand further clarification, and ask why she was using his title, she moved to the opposite side of the kitchen and sat at the dining room table.

"Your father's daymen left something called a 'breakfast burrito' for you to eat," he informed her, slowly sinking back down onto the couch. Something told him that she would not wish him to join her.

"I'm not hungry, but thank you." Alex's voice was politely distant, and she refused to meet his gaze.

Godric struggled to think of something to add some spark back into her eyes, a ball of worry settling in his stomach. "Do you wish for room service to bring you more Death By Chocolate cake? Are you still feeling the side effects of your moon time?"

Alex grimaced and wished he would stop talking to her. Every time she heard his voice, it made the ache of his rejection tear deeper in her chest. Her head already felt like there was vise around it, the pain throbbing with every beat of her heart.

"No, thank you. I'm fine, really. I just have a bit of a headache," she muttered. She glanced over at the clock, the one that she had wished over the last few days to move slower so as to give the two of them more time alone together. For the first time, she wished it would move faster, so that the others would rise and join them.

"Alexandra—" Godric began, determined to pry what was bothering the girl out of her. He may not know much of modern teenagers, but he could tell a deflection when he heard one.

Alex breathed a sigh of relief when her father's door opened and she jumped to her feet and moved quickly towards him with a giant smile. "Dad! Merry Christmas Eve, she said with faux excitement."

Theron blinked at the exuberant welcome, surprised at his daughter's almost manic smile. His gaze flew to Godric's, and the two vampires exchanged a speaking glance. "Daughter, are you well?"

Alex forced herself to huff and roll her eyes. "Of course, I just have a bit of a headache. It's probably because I've been so excited about the ball that I could barely sleep!" She fixed a bright smile on her face and even bounced on her toes. When her dad relaxed, she knew she had convinced him. Of course, when she shot a glance at Godr— at the sheriff, she flinched away from his disapproving grey eyes. He obviously knew she was lying, and was not happy.

Damn it, why was he being so difficult? Where was Eric? The Viking was always good for getting Godric's attention, and she would use whatever help she could get. Even if it was from that hulking jerk. Then again, maybe she should thank him for letting her know how Godric felt about her, before she made an even bigger fool of herself.

Tears burned behind her aching eyes, but she turned away and pretended to eat breakfast. After ten of the most uncomfortable minutes of her entire life, the rest of the nest finally rose for the night. Within seconds Bennet stood in front of her, smiling like a giddy kid.

"C'mon, little sister, its time for gifts. Or are you worried that Santa brought you coal this year?" he teased, and slung an arm around her shoulders.

Alex slipped into her expected role of excited teenager, and rolled her eyes. "Please, I haven't believed in Santa since I was a little kid."

"You never know," Josiah said, joining in on the teasing as they moved into Godri— into the Sheriff's side of the nest. The tree gleamed with lights and the origami paper ornaments looked beautiful, but the sight of their tree just made her misery worse.

"Happy Christmas," Isabel said softly. She frowned at the girl, her eyes raking over her appearance before she shot Godric a look.

"So," Bennet said, rubbing his hands together gleefully as he gave each member of the nest their four gifts. "Let's get this show on the road. Alex, do you want to start?"

Alex smiled at her youngest brother. "You go first, I want to see what you think of what I got you, brother dearest."

* * *

Alex sat, her palm stroking the gorgeous blue and purple cashmere scarf her dad had given her. Her father, Gabriel, and Bennet had left to feed with only Josiah and Godric still in the common room. She looked away when Eric and his progeny entered, not wanting to deal with the arrogant Viking. She was so tired, the effort of pretending that her brain didn't feel like it was about to bleed from her ears was exhausting. She never noticed the shocked look Eric gave her, or the sudden tension in his jaw as he looked away.

Her eyes half-closed, she leaned against the back of the couch and idly watched as Josiah vamp sped around, quickly picking up the scraps of wrapping paper their youngest brother had thrown everywhere. She tried to ignore how Godric was just a few feet away, but it was hard since she could practically feel his stare burning a hole in the side of her head.

"Hey, what's this?" Josiah asked.

"What's what?" she asked.

Josiah stood up with two boxes in his hand that had been tucked behind the tree. The bigger one was wrapped in dark gold and green paper, a silver bow sitting elegantly on top. The other gift was smaller, plainly wrapped in red Santa paper and looking rather ramshackle in comparison.

Alex's entire body tensed when she saw the smaller of the two gifts.

No.

Oh no!

How could she have forgotten that she snuck Godric's gift under the tree before everything had happened? She had wanted to give it to him privately, before everyone else was up and watching them, but after the previous night she had forgotten all about it. What was she going to do? She couldn't leap up from the couch and snatch it away …

"The bigger one is addressed to you, Alex," Josiah said, obviously surprised. It was a rule in their nest that each member would give only one gift to each of the others. It was his father's only rule when they finally persuaded him to let Alex celebrate Christmas. He probably knew that otherwise Bennet would not be able to control himself.

Automatically, she reached up to accept the box, her fingers trembling as she pulled the ornate tag out from under the bow.

_To: Alex_

_From: Godric_

Without her consent, her eyes flicked towards the watching Gaul, her heart in her throat. "This is … for me?" she asked hesitantly. Why would he do this?

Godric nodded, keeping his face blank of all emotion. He had wished to give the gift to her before the others had risen, but Alex had not emerged from her room in time.

Carefully, Alex undid the bow, the old fashioned wrapping paper falling open and revealing a plain box. Blushing at all the attention on her, she opened the lid.

"What … how … why?" she stuttered, completely gobsmacked even as her heart soared in her chest. She looked up at him and their eyes connected, something soft and quiet moving between them that she didn't understand.

The happiness and relief she felt was enough that she was glad she was sitting down. This was proof that he had to care for her, because why would he have remembered anything she told him otherwise? Or even bothered to spend the money on this gift for her? Even if it was just because of her dad, why would he even care to remember that her favorite color was purple? No, this meant that he hadn't just been humoring her like Eric had suggested.

"Well," Josiah asked, "don't keep us waiting, what did you get?" He had been worried about his sister. The others may have been fooled by her act, although he had doubts about his father and Godric, but he had known that something was wrong. Now, however, she seemed to almost glow with happiness.

Alex looked up, her smile stretching from ear to ear and her eyes sparkling as she carefully lifted out the ultra-thin, purple laptop, followed by the professional grade camera she had drooled over when they had been at the mall. Both were top of the line for the type of photography she wanted to do, and she practically bounced in place when she thought of how she was going to be able to do her photo edits with the state of the art laptop. It was even small enough that she would easily be able to fit it in the one suitcase rule her father had for her.

"Its perfect," she whispered as her fingers gently ran over the curved edge of the computer's purple casing. She looked back up at Godric, barely withholding the desire to tackle him in a hug. "Thank you, Godric." She loved it so much more than just because it was exactly what she had wanted. No, she loved it because this was the proof that he had listened to her, and that he cared. She knew how much these items cost, had been trying to save for at least the camera for the past six months, and the fact that he had bought them for her …

Happy. She was so happy right now, and it was crazy because just a few minutes ago she had been completely miserable.

She didn't notice the surprised looks on the vampire's faces, or the pleased one on a just arrived Isabel's. She was too nervous as she watched her favorite brother give the smaller gift to Godric. She leaned forward, excited as he easily tore open the holiday paper. She didn't hear Pam's mocking comment about her substandard wrapping job, and so didn't see the warning look Josiah gave the female vampire. All of her attention was on the Ancient sitting on the couch.

Godric was surprised and touched that she had gotten him a gift, although he should be used to such sweet gestures from her by now. He smiled in amusement at the Santa paper, fondly remembering the pink birthday one she had used for his Sheriff's badge. He enjoyed how casual her attitude had always been towards him, and how unpretentious and lovely her gifts were.

He stared down at the small rectangular box that sat easily in the palm of his hand. The lid had an apple on it and thanks to his new interest in technology, he was no longer so ignorant as to not realize that the symbol did not represent some partially eaten piece of fruit.

"Open it!" Alex encouraged. She had agonized for over an hour on which one to get him, and she hoped he liked it. She had even paid a crazy amount to get it immediately engraved, although she hadn't let Josiah see what she had written. That message was just for the two of them, and was another secret that they shared.

Pam was the first one to break the silence after Godric opened the lid of the small box and revealed the dark blue iPod inside. "You didn't exactly spring for top of the line, did you?" she said sarcastically as she flicked through a magazine. "That's an older model, and it isn't even a touchscreen."

The bright and happy smile on Alex's face disappeared as a dark flush spread across her face. When she looked down her gaze fell on the expensive laptop and camera on her lap, and her blush deepened when she realized how poorly her gift compared to his. She wondered if Eric was saying 'I told you so' in his head, considering he had mocked how she had never shown proper appreciation towards his Maker.

She was so upset that she didn't feel Godric's power burst through the room, his anger causing it to snap and crackle as his displeasure made it writhe and choke the air. Every vampire, even Eric, staggered from the force of it, their heads bowing in submission.

Eric flinched from the cold rage, and he briefly wondered if he would soon be lacking a progeny. He had rarely felt his Maker so angry, and he bitterly noticed that Godric had angled himself on the couch as if sheltering Alex from further attack. Damn it, why was it so difficult to keep these two apart? Yet the thought was cast aside when he realized how ashamed he was of his progeny, and the emotion flooded the bond between them causing Pam to turn and stare. It was one thing for Eric to verbally savage the girl to keep his Maker safe, but it was another to do so because of sheer pettiness and boredom. It was obvious the teen was not dealing well with the estrangement, so there was no need to cause her further pain.

Perhaps it was twisted considering his actions, but now Eric felt oddly protective of Alex.

Godric was so furious that he had to forcibly relax his grip on the creaking plastic case. He had seen the engraving, and could have sworn his dead heart had trembled in his chest. It just cemented this small item's place amongst the few treasures he truly cared about. He had been about to tell her how much he loved it when his spoiled grand-progeny blatantly shamed their bloodline. It was as if he could feel Alex's humiliation, her clear distress causing a vicious growl to rumble from his chest, far too low for human hearing.

Alex swallowed and proudly lifted her chin, even though she kept her gaze on a point over Godric's left shoulder. She already felt bad enough, she didn't want to see how disgusted he was at her crappy gift.

"She's right, it's not the newest one. I-I would give you the receipt so you could return it for something … better, but it was personalized so …" She gave a helpless shrug, the heat in her cheeks letting her know that her face was tomato red.

"Alex," Isabel said before anyone else could react. She kept one eye on her clearly pissed off Sheriff, and she wanted the girl out of the room in case the Gaul lost control and blood was spilled. "Please go into the other room and finish eating your breakfast."

Relieved at having a reason to leave the awkward social situation, Alex popped to her feet, and quickly gathered her gifts. She stood there for a moment, shifting from foot to foot. She wished that instead of hiding in her room when she knew Godric was awake, that she had remembered his gift and used the time to get rid of it. Maybe if she had she wouldn't be in this situation. This was her first time giving a gift to someone outside of her family and their daymen, and she wanted a hole to open up in the floor under her feet. Gift giving was an important part of vampire culture, and she had completely flubbed it.

She knew her dad said that all teenagers were overly-dramatic, but this really had to be the worst Christmas she had ever had. Worse than even the one during that hellacious time learning survival techniques in the Swiss Alps.

She still really didn't like snow. Or jerky. No, she never wanted to eat jerky again.

"Thank you for my Christmas gifts," she said finally to the still room. Nobody replied, or even glanced her way. So this is what they meant when they said there was a 'deafening silence.'"

She swallowed, the sound practically echoing in the unnatural quiet. They were doing that vampire thing where they didn't pretend to be human, their bodies completely unmoving. Josiah's eyes were pitch black, and that was never a good sign.

"Alex," Isabel repeated firmly, and motioned towards the door.

Alex edged backwards, her instincts not allowing her to turn her back on the clearly pissed off predators. Thank the gods they weren't pissed at her this time! As always when she got nervous, she started to babble. "I'll … um … yeah. I'll be in the other room. Doing human stuff."

The door had barely shut when Josiah looked coldly over at the spoiled female vampire. The Gaul's rage was still flowing through the room, but he was determined to have his say. The spoiled bitch had been reborn into an already wealthy bloodline, and Josiah was disgusted at how the Viking had allowed such behavior to continue unpunished. While he was friends with Eric, he had never really been impressed with Pam's behavior but had assumed it was because she was still young. Now, however, she was really old enough to know better.

Josiah leaned forward, his eyes cold on the younger vampire and his fangs down in threat. "My sister does not get an allowance, and has not for the past year. When she turned fourteen our father decided she was old enough for him to start to do as he has done for all of us. We do not have unlimited access to our Maker's wealth, young whelp. Instead, we are given a set amount and then we make our own ways in the world."

Josiah shot a disgusted look at Eric, blaming him for not keeping a tighter rein on his Child. "Alex has spent the last year learning and investing in the stock market, and she takes great pride in being able to buy her own things. It's been a hard, and not always successful experience for her, and she has struggled to earn every penny. She's been planning for a year to take some special art class where our nest is currently located, but instead she took that money and bought your grand-maker a gift. She even paid a completely ludicrous fee to get it immediately engraved."

He sneered at the arrogant female who just stared down at her ridiculously expensive couture shoes. "Not to curry favor or to suck up, but because she wanted to share her love of this human holiday, the only human tradition she follows. She agonized over which iPod to buy, but she chose the older model because she could then afford one that could hold thousands more songs. She gave up something she was so excited to do, and you treat her like this? When have you ever done something similar? How dare you embarrass her with such crass and unfeeling words!" With that, Josiah turned on his heel and left the suite, the door slamming behind him as he went in search of a donor.

Godric's gaze swung away from the door Alex had gone through, and his eyes were pitch black. "Eric, we will be speaking about the free rein your Child has been given over your accounts, and what her punishment will be. Also," he added, his voice so quiet that Pam shuddered, "we will be discussing just what I expect from one of our bloodline. Do not misunderstand me, my son, as much will have to change if you wish to keep your title of 'Maker.' I would rather my blood end with you and Nora, than have it flow through someone who proves so unworthy. Is that understood?"

Eric felt his Child's shock, and viciously clamped down on Pamela's side of the bond, forcing her to stay quiet. "Yes, Master."

Pamela shot a flabbergasted look over at her Maker, already mourning the death of the various credit cards she regularly used. The shame she could feel in their bond made her cringe. She had just been jealous at how much time Eric seemed to be spending thinking about the girl, and she had been irritated that instead of enjoying the busty brunette from the night before, she had to join in talks about how to keep the girl safe. If two Ancients and her own Maker couldn't do the job, then what could she possibly do?

Damn, she realized when she was left alone and in front of a seething Eric, she had a feeling she was not going to enjoy whatever he deemed an appropriate punishment for shaming him in front of his own beloved Maker.

* * *

Alex walked into the kitchen area and carefully put her gifts on the table. She was alone, glad that her family had gone to find their own breakfasts amongst the donors. She was so damned glad that she didn't have to put up a happy front then. She totally sucked at giving gifts, and Godric was probably just too nice to tell her that he hated it.

She was looking in the fridge for her own meal so didn't hear the connecting door quietly open and close.

"Firefly."

She jumped, and hissed when her elbow banged into the fridge door. "Ow!" She startled again when cold fingers suddenly covered the stinging area, their chill soothing away the ache even as she determinedly kept her eyes away from his.

She stared down at his hands as they cupped her arm, and marveled at how pale he was even compared to her own fair skin. Even his cuticles were a blue-ish color like that time Gabriel had the fang problem he got from bad blood, and couldn't feed for several weeks. She was worried about him, and only became more so when she realized she had never seen him drink either bagged blood or from a donor.

Before she could say anything, she gasped in surprise when he lightly pulled her into a close hug. Soothing warmth moved through her despite his cool embrace, and the tense and stretched feeling in her chest relaxed. She practically went limp in relief before she realized exactly what was going on.

He was hugging her.

Oh dear gods, he was _hugging_ her!

She hesitantly wrapped her own arms around his trim waist. He felt so nice, and she bit back a whimper at his scent of oak and warmth. Her thoughts drifted as everything in her relaxed, and she felt her exhaustion catching up with her.

After a moment he pulled back and she bit back a complaint, not anywhere close to ready to let go of him. What if he decided to keep his distance again? This could be the last time she ever got to do this.

"Thank you for my gift, Firefly. It was perfect," he said, and placed a soft kiss on her forehead.

Oh.

Oh my.

Alex cleared her throat nervously, aware that her face was once again turning pink. She swore the skin burned where his lips had touched her, and she thought that she could feel the electric shock of the contact move through her body. No, she definitely wasn't feeling sick now!

She nervously debated on what she should do. Should she kiss him back? Could she kiss him? On the cheek? Would he like that? Butterflies filled her stomach and she forced herself not to squirm. For some reason her mind felt like this was an excellent time to remind her of how she had fantasized about him wearing only a towel still wet from his shower, and she decided that she might die from embarrassment.

"Y-you're welcome," she finally said, and peaked up at him through her lashes. To her relief, his eyes were warm and soft, not the distant look from earlier. "You really like it? I'm sorry that it's not as nice as what you gave me, but—"

Godric placed his finger across her lips, halting her words. "Little one, why would you think your gift is less than mine?"

She ignored that hated nickname, wanting to get this over and done with. "Well … I just … I know …"

Patiently, Godric waited as she gathered her thoughts. He could sense her distress, and he pulled her close again, a soft purr thrumming in his chest as he soothingly ran his hand up and down her back.

"… I just realized that you're used to getting really nice gifts. Fancy stuff. Antiques and old things like that. I can't compete with what other vampires give to someone like you, and I—"

"Firefly."

Her mouth snapped shut, glad that he had interrupted her babbling before she said something really embarrassing. Like how nice his arms felt around her, and how much more she liked his thundercloud colored eyes when they were soft and warm. "Yeah?"

"True gifts are not how much they cost, but from what place they are given from. It does not matter if it is the rarest of artifacts, if it is given only out of greed for what the giver could receive in return. Or out of fear. I have received many because of those two sentiments, and I have valued none of them."

She blinked, considering his words and wondering if he knew he could make a lot of money writing fortune cookies. Still … it sounded like he meant …

"So you're saying that you like what I've given to you?" she asked just to make sure. She smiled when she felt his chest rumble with soft laughter. She loved it when he laughed, since in her opinion it was far to rare a sound.

"Yes, Firefly, I count your gifts amongst my most treasured possessions. I appreciated this one even more since your brother told me what you gave up in order to buy it for me. As I've said before, you have a beautiful soul." To make sure she understood and believed his words, he asked, "Did you only like my gifts because of their cost?"

Alex reared back from his embrace, horrified that he would think that. "No! Of course not!"

He smiled patiently down at her, and tucked a wayward strand of hair behind her ear. He has missed this, their conversations with each other, and her ease with him. Perhaps he was wrong that it would be best to keep his distance from her. "And why do you like them?"

Alex leaned her face into his palm where it cupped her jaw. She had missed him so much, and each moment soothed the ache inside of her. It was still there, but the pain and oddly stretched feeling was greatly lessened. "I love them because I knew when I opened it that you weren't just putting up with me, and that I wasn't just an inconvenience you wanted to get rid of. If I was, you wouldn't have bothered to remember that I love purple, and even made sure that my laptop was that color. Or you would have given me the typical vampire gift of expensive jewelry instead of something you knew that I very badly wanted."

It was Godric's turn to be surprised, and he stared down into content brown eyes. "Why would you think that I felt that way?" he demanded.

"Well," she said, looking at him like he was crazy, "because that's what you said last night."

He was speechless, looking down at her with such a shocked look on his normally blank face that she had to bite back a giggle.

"I said no such thing," he firmly denied.

"Er, yeah, you did. You said that this wasn't just a leisure trip and that you had business to do. That meant I was taking up too much of your time. I mean, this summit _is_ to plan The Great Revelation."

He replayed his words from the night before, and mentally cursed. "Two thousand years, Firefly, and I can still be surprised," he said wryly.

"Huh?"

"What I meant was that I needed to focus more on keeping you safe and figuring out who wishes to harm you. The Great Revelation will come about whether or not I attend these meetings, but it is you who is important. I have enjoyed our time together so much that I have been negligent in trying to discover which vampire wishes to harm you. My distraction has meant that you were almost harmed. Twice."

Alex frowned, considering his words, and then rolled her eyes even though part of her squealed at being considered more important than _The Great Revelation_! She stepped away from him and huffily put her hands on her hips. "Seriously? How can you possibly think it's your fault? The restaurant was definitely mine, since I'm sure you remember me throwing a, er, temper tantrum and stalking away from you. If I hadn't, then those humans couldn't have grabbed me. Besides," she raised her voice when she saw he was about to interrupt her, "you saved me!"

"But—"

"And," she said, now on a roll as she continued to scold her silly vampire. "You also kept me safe the second time! Even though I was an idiot and opened the door between our nests and put you in danger."

Godric listened, vaguely amused that she was scolding him, but his amusement fled at her words. Gently, he grabbed her arms and pulled her close. "Who told you that?"

She ignored the question, her own hands absentmindedly settling against his chest. "I'm right though. I should have stayed and fought. I'm sorry, Godric."

Godric growled, the sound vibrating against her palms. Neither of them were aware when she began to rub one hand up and down his arm, soothing him out of his anger.

"No," he denied. "You did exactly right in coming to me. You were alone, unarmed, and not even your father is old enough to awaken at such an early hour. Promise me that you will come to me if such a thing were to happen again. I will never," he swore to her, his gaze locked firmly onto hers, "allow harm to come to you while I am here. You have my blood-sworn word on that."

Alex stared up at him with wide eyes at his vow. She knew the value of what he had just given her. "Okay," she agreed. Their gazes caught and held, and she felt that _something_ from before moving between them. It was faint, so faint that she could barely feel it, but it was there, flowing soothingly back and forth. His hands tightened on her arms, and he pulled her closer, resting his forehead against hers, his chest mimicking the cadence of her own breathing. For a moment everything was wonderful, and bright, and as it should be.

After a few minutes, she broke the intimate eye contact and instead leaned her head against his shoulder with a sigh. The odd feeling from before, from her first night in Chicago filled her. This was too much, too soon. She wasn't ready. Not yet. It puzzled her, but something told her that she would understand in time. She fidgeted a little with his shirt, unsure of what to do next, or even how to explain something she didn't understand herself. Did he feel it too?

"You know," she finally offered from her comfortable position against his shoulder, "you can put books on your iPod too, and listen to them while you're doing something else. I thought it might make the hours you're awake and alone go by faster. You can listen to books, or music or whatever while doing your boring sheriff stuff."

He smiled at her opinion of his job, one that he shared most of the time, feeling lighter than he had in a long time. How had she known how isolating those hours he was awake during the day were?

"How?" he asked softly, giving in and scenting her hair from where it ticked his nose.

She didn't need to ask what he meant, and she didn't mind telling him something she never really shared with her family. "I'm alone a lot in the nest. I mean, I have George and Brian, but they're often busy doing stuff for dad. So, yeah, I was by myself a lot waiting for my family to wake up. It was really lonely sometimes. Listening to my iPod helped. That's why I chose that inscription for you," she added shyly.

He smiled and leaned back, ignoring his lack of desire to do so. They both glanced down at the box he still held in his hand, the engraving facing them.

_To Mr. Sheriff Sir-_

_To guard against the silence. _

_-Firefly_

"I love my gift. Thank you, Alex." He allowed himself a last deep breath of her scent, and had to hold back a pleased purr as the acrid smell of sadness was greatly diminished. When he went to step away, he was surprised when her grip tightened on his shirt.

"Alex?"

"We're good now, right? You're not going to ignore me again? You're really not still mad at me about last night?" Part of her wanted to stay quiet and just accept that he was here now. The rest of her … well, now that her head wasn't splitting apart in agony, the rest of her wasn't too thrilled that he had decided to stay away from her without asking her opinion on the subject.

Godric frowned. "Alex—"

She interrupted him, ignoring the fact that it was definitely against The Code. "I can't do this, Godric. If you want to be friends we need to, ya know, talk. I think part of our problem was that we both assumed the other understood what was going on. Well, that and you went all cave vampire on me and decided to send me away without trying to find an alternative plan."

After a moment, she admitted, "I definitely have the teenage thing going on, and I think you have the Ancient sheriff attitude where nobody questions you. I really don't want this to become normal for us."

Thoughtfully, he looked down at her stubborn expression. "I am 2000 years old, little one." Surely she realized that he did know a thing or two more than she on how to keep her safe?

"So? I still had to show you what converse sneakers were."

For a moment he stared at her, completely flummoxed by the non-sequitor, and then he began to laugh. He laughed so hard that his eyes rimmed red with tears, and he once again pressed a quick kiss against her forehead. "Excellent point, Firefly. How about this, you work on getting control of that temper of yours, and I'll work on my part of our communication skills. Just realize that while I will try harder to talk with you, you will also have to try and see things from my point of view. I have not gotten to this age by accident."

She nodded, and then smirked. "Did you see what else was in the box with the iPod?"

He looked down, and carefully removed the slim device, revealing the earbuds coiled underneath. For a moment he just stared, before he looked back up at her mischievous expression. "Really, Alex?" he asked, lips twitching in amusement.

"What?" she teased. "I thought it was funny! Granted, I think Josiah almost had a heart attack when I bought them."

Godric shook his head, glancing back down at the skull shaped earbuds. "I think you may be the only one," he commented dryly, "besides maybe Eric, who would be brave enough to give me something like this." They were ridiculous, and a mischievous part of him realized he couldn't wait to see the expression on his son's face when he saw Godric wearing them.

Alex giggled, and moved back towards the fridge. She suddenly realized she was starving, and remembered that Brian had left one of his super tasty burritos for her. "I think it's amusing how they all call you 'Death' like you're the boogeyman. You're so compassionate and calm, and it's silly how vampires practically pee themselves when they even hear your name. Idiots," she sneered, and boosted herself up to sit on the counter. She was so hungry she didn't want to walk the ten steps to the table before eating. She doubted Godric would care, considering he grew up during Ye Olden Days.

He shook his head, a smile hiding at the corners of his mouth. "Vampires cannot 'pee themselves.'"

"Bet you could make them," she countered.

After a moment, Godric just changed the subject. "Will you join me and explain how to set up my iPod on my computer? There is still two hours before Isabel kidnaps you to get ready for the ball."

Alex perked up, realizing that her dream of twirling the night away with Godric could now really come true. "Of course! So what type of music do you like?"


	13. Chapter 10D

**A/N: So I've received a LOT of messages asking for an update. This time of the year is crazy busy for me at work, and so while I don't have the entire last arc of the Chicago piece written up (It was already at 28K words and getting longer), I thought I could at least give you a short (but still over 10K) chapter as an early holiday present! I will try and post another short chapter before Christmas (most of it is written, I just need to find the time to edit it), and the last section in early January. Then I swear its on to Alex's next adventure! This story arc has turned into a bit of a beast, but it really is necessary and so much still has to happen.**

**Disclaimer goes here, and I would like to thank everyone who reads and/or reviews my story. I know I suck at updating on a regular basis, so I may try to see how shorter chapters work so you guys don't have to wait as long. Granted, short chapters for me are still pretty long, so hopefully those who prefer the longer chapters will not be too disappointed.**

**Oh, and this chapter is a bit angsty. Don't worry, things will improve. :) It's gotta be really hard and completely confusing being a human teenager and growing up with vampires. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 10D**

"Godric, you're joking! Is Stan really obsessed with the Dixie Chicks?"

"Yes, Alex. He even has several signed posters in his room, and I do believe one is attached to the ceiling in his travel coffin as well."

Eric glanced over at the bright laughter from the pair on the corner couch. He was …conflicted. Part of him was pissed as hell that somehow the two had reunited and seemed closer than ever. The other part however … damn it. He owed the girl, and he hated feeling beholden to anyone. How long had it been since his father had laughed? Or even truly smiled? Since he had behaved more like the teenage boy he so resembled, and less like a vampire bowed below the weight of his responsibilities and past?

An image of the girl's face from the night before flashed across his mind, and his guilt only increased. Still, that did not mean that he was fine with how they were acting with each other. In Odin's name, it was almost as if …

Eric shook his head. No. It was impossible. Not after what Godric had done, and all the blood he had spilled for centuries. None of the gods would ever give him a Fated Mate, and even if they did, the Guardians would not allow her to grow old enough to find him. Not when Godric had been responsible for so many of their deaths, and their exit from this world.

Eric grinned, and his fangs ached to drop when he remembered how deliciously spicy the blood of those winged menaces were, and what a shame it had been when they and the Fae had both left for different worlds.

He pretended to work, but kept a wary eye on the duo. Godric and Alex had started off sitting properly next to each other, the girl fiddling with her new camera while she introduced his father to iTunes. Yet slowly over the last half-hour they had edged closer and closer as if drawn together. He watched impassively as his Maker, a vampire renowned for his violent dislike of casual contact, curled his arm around the girl as she leaned into his side. Was his ancient father actually … cuddling?

He watched, his expression stony as the two were shifted around each other. It was strange how at ease they acted around Eric, and perhaps Isabel, considering that when the rest of the nest were present they kept a respectful distance. Come to think of it, they rarely touched in front of anyone else, thank the gods.

His eyes narrowed when Alex laid her head on his Maker's chest, and Godric rested his chin on the crown of her head. They both were intently watching the screen, each using one of the ridiculous earbuds the girl had given his Maker. He would rather wear silver than admit that he had been amused with the girl's sense of style, even as he had made sure the girl saw him roll his eyes.

After all, he had a reputation as a cold and callous bastard to protect.

He took a deep breath, but all he could smell was the girl's contentment and a vague suggestion of muted discomfort. He could smell no arousal, so perhaps she just viewed Godric as one of her protectors? She was just as affectionate with her own nest mates, often hugging and lounging against her brothers and father, so it was a possibility. He knew his Maker well, and so far there was nothing of the lover in Godric's emotions towards her, and he was decently positive that his father still saw her as a child. Perhaps he saw Alex as a — Eric sneered at the human concept— _friend_. The idea that a 2000 year old vampire could find such a human ideal in a human girl was preposterous.

He turned his attention back to the two bickering 'teenagers' with a sigh. A Child's work was never done, and he would be watchful … for his Maker's sake. At least tomorrow was the last night of the summit, and then everyone would be leaving to go back to their Areas. He refused to admit that the sound of the girl's laughter eased some of his guilt from his previous actions towards her.

Still, he would be watchful. He would not allow this girl, no matter how much he admired her moxie, to get his Maker killed.

* * *

Alex giggled and carefully sat her camera on her lap before she looked up into what were, in her opinion, the most beautiful grey eyes in the world. "C'mon, Godric! You have to like something besides Renn Fair music and St. Hildegard von Bingen. What about American Classic Rock from the '80's? Broadway show tunes? Easy Listening? American Country? Gypsy Punk?" She gave him a sly and teasing smile. "Norwegian Black Metal?"

Godric's lips quirked at Alex's high spirits. "I prefer instrumental music, Firefly. It is less chaotic in nature than some of the screaming bands you've tried to convince me I 'would totally love and adore.'"

She widened her eyes innocently. "What? Not a fan of head banging?"

Bravely, her heart practically in her throat with nerves, she did something she had wanted to do for the last few nights. With trembling fingers, she reached up and lightly tugged at his short hair, marveling at how soft it felt as the cool strands slipped through her fingers. "You would have to grow it out, but you could totally head bang with the best of them. Just think of it as using your vampire reflexes and speed in new and interesting ways."

"I dare say that is one activity I will gladly skip. Even my vampire abilities may not be able to fully heal my eardrums if I were to go to such a musical venue."

Alex rolled her eyes, and poked her vampire in his delightfully firm stomach. She liked his loose fitting tunics just as much as the clothes they had bought together. They looked super comfy and soft, and she would definitely have to 'borrow' one to wear at night for when they left Chicago.

Her heart sank at the thought, and the strange pain from earlier turning briefly sharp, before it faded away to the dull ache it had been since they had made up an hour ago. She pushed the thought away. She had just gotten him back, and she didn't … she _couldn't_ … think about having to give him up again. She could pretend, at least for tonight, that she would not be forced to soon leave.

She would not sully the time they had left with tears and angst.

"Well, if you're going to be an old man about it, I suppose we can try something a little different." She turned back to his laptop, and typed in a group she thought he would enjoy, as it was also one of her favorites. "Okay, so, what about this string quartet? They're from Dallas, and they play modern music with a funky twist. I heard them play in Copenhagen last year."

Quickly, she tapped on the play button and they listened to a few bars of the song. She smiled victoriously when she could tell he approved. She didn't know why her brothers said that Godric was impossible to read, or why both George and Brian said that his eyes were eerie. To her, his pretty eyes showed everything, and she could see both his kindness and his strength when she looked at him.

Alex sighed contentedly, and snuggled closer to his cool body. It was hard enough to remember to keep the proper distance required from The Code when they were in front of other people, but at least only Eric was in the room with them. She may or may not admit to being smug over the fact that she could rub it in the jerk's face that Godric obviously did care about her.

All thoughts of oneupmanship fled when Godric's hand began to absentmindedly twist and play with her hair, the soft tugs on her scalp hypnotically soothing. She was so tired from her sleepless night, but the humming that she imagined she felt between them made her nerves jangle with energy.

"Hey, Godric?" she asked suddenly.

"Yes?"

She bit her lip. "Are you excited about the ball?"

He shrugged, the action moving her head up and down where it rested against his shoulder. "I have been to many such events, little one. I daresay the magic and excitement has long since ended for me. Although," he said, his voice going glacial and his power growing heavy around them. "I do look forward to discovering who is trying to hurt you."

She rubbed her cheek against his shoulder to sooth his anger, and reflexively took a deep breath. The scent of oak and ancient forests, of warmth and campfires that held off the darkness surrounded her, and the spot in her chest grew hot. She liked the fact that his scent would stay on her for several hours, and even though she wouldn't be able to smell it herself, it still made her feel safe. No other vampire would doubt that the Ancient cared for her, and it had the nice side effect of giving a warning to any other female that this man allowed her near him. He was so wonderful, and she just knew that all the women at the ball would want to dance with him.

"Are you excited?" he asked softly, his hand stilling from where it was still threading through her hair.

"Yeah, I've never been to a dance before. I can't wait," she said, and wanted to hit herself in the head. Way to let him know just how inexperienced and boring she was! Gods above, she sometimes really wished she could staple her mouth shut.

His quiet chuckle made her relax and take another deep breath, and she again thought of all the beautiful women who would undoubtedly clamor for his attention. Alex scowled and rubbed her cheek against his chest again, determined that she would scent mark him as much as possible. She wished she had fangs, because it was really hard to be intimidating with normal human teeth.

She inhaled again, and smiled. Was it possible for someone to smell both dangerous and safe at the same time? She blushed when she felt the quiet rumble of soft laughter under her ear.

"Sorry," she whispered, and hoped that Eric wasn't paying attention. She bet he was a tattletale, and would run to one of her brothers about her being 'improper'. She still had yet to decide on how to deal with what he had said to her yesterday, but maybe she should keep his words a secret so she could have leverage against him. She had a feeling that if Godric knew what his Child had said, that Eric would get punished.

She smirked, and her smile grew when her eyes flicked up to meet the Viking's cold blue gaze across the room. Yeah, it was much better if Eric owed her a favor. She had, after all, learned the value of having a bargaining chip from her brothers. Being a little sister sometimes sucked, and she had learned early on that blackmail was one of the only ways to get some peace and quiet.

"It is fine, little one," Godric whispered into her hair, and a shiver ran down her spine.

She bit back her faint irritation, not wanting another argument so soon after their last. No, she wanted the rest of their time in Chicago to go well, so she would have good memories to help the next few years fly by.

* * *

"Okay, Alex, you can look," Isabel said calmly as she and Pam finally stopped pocking and prodding her. Pam had been silent the entire time she helped do Alex's hair and makeup. Apparently part of her punishment was that she was banned from both the ball and from drinking from any donors for the next six months. Eric had also cut off all her hair, and her once gloriously perfect blonde locks had been roughly hacked into something resembling a pixie cut … if it had been done by a drunken monkey.

Alex wanted to smirk, even though she did sort of feel bad that it looked like someone had taken garden shears to Pam's head. She didn't really like the woman, but it took forever for vampires to grow their hair out, not to mention buckets and buckets of extra blood.

Oh well. Maybe next time she wouldn't be such a bitch.

"Alex?" Isabel asked again with a laugh. "Are you going to look, or just stand there all night with your eyes closed?"

"Sorry!" Slowly, Alex opened her eyes, and gasped at her reflection. Her hand flew to cover her mouth, the new french manicure making the move look graceful and pretty in the mirror.

Was … was that really her? She looked so … so … elegant. Despite her nagging, the two females had refused to let her see the dress they had chosen for her to wear. She had been terrified that they would either put her in some sort of nun-like outfit, which Gabriel would definitely prefer, or dress her like a Las Vegas showgirl. Vampires were not particularly modest, and while Alex grew up with that, she was only too aware of how awkward she still was in comparison to adult women.

"Oh, Isabel …" she breathed. "I … I look so pretty." She twisted from side to side and watched the opal-colored dress swirl gracefully around her legs, the small and tasteful slit that stopped a few inches above her knee flaring open to show just a hint of skin. The dress had a sweetheart neckline that made the most of her average sized chest, and the top clung to her body until it reached her hips where it slightly flared as it draped elegantly to the floor.

The Spanish vampire smiled at the girl's awe. "No, you look beautiful."

Alex shot her a doubtful look before she lightly touched the red gemstone encrusted halter straps that held up the front of the dress. Her back felt cold, and she twisted to see if they had left the dress unzipped. "Um, Isabel, I think you forgot part of the dress."

"No, its supposed to look like that. Why do you think we had you put on a set of those sticker bra cups?" Isabel laughed at the girl's embarrassed flush. She had had to walk the teenager through how to apply them. Seriously, the poor girl really needed more feminine influences in her life.

"Oh." Alex swallowed nervously, and hoped she remembered to not bend over, otherwise she may moon the entire ballroom. While the front of the dress seemed modest despite how tightly it clung, the back plunged almost to the very top of her butt, held up only by the single red strap that ran down the center of her back. No wonder they had liberally applied double sided tape to her skin!

She took a careful step closer to the mirror in the skyscraper-tall heeled shoes that Pam had made her practice in, and stared at her face. They had done something to her eyes that made them look big and innocent, but smokey at the same time. The last time she had tried one of the 'smokey-eye techniques' that she had seen on Youtube she had ended up looking like a raccoon, and even Josiah had teased her. Pam had also done something to make her cheekbones look more cheekbone-y, and instead of her normally soft features her face looked angular and grown-up.

"I can't believe how nice I look," she said softly to herself. She turned and beamed at the two women. "Thank you both so much! I wont embarrass hi— my nest tonight by looking silly." She had secretly worried that she wouldn't be able to make her hair do anything other than frizz, or that she would end up looking like an awkward kid. Vampires who never tripped, perspired, got upset stomaches, or started sneezing at the most embarrassing times were hell on a human teenager's self-esteem.

Alex bit her lip, but quickly stopped at Pam's annoyed hiss. She really did not need another two hour lecture on how a woman needed to always look her best.

A thought hit her and she looked worriedly at Isabel. "Um … doesn't the white dress sort of look like what a virgin human woman would wear for their marriage ceremony? I've seen some of the females my brothers have brought back from these parties. They tend to be wearing, well, a lot less. And most of them were in dark or glittery colors. Like what you're wearing."

Alex took another glance at the mirror, and her mind flashed back to her painfully embarrassing ballroom dance classes in Russia. "Are you _sure_ people wont laugh at me? Do … do you think that I might even get asked to dance?" Maybe it was pathetic, but just _once_ she didn't want to be a wallflower. She was sure that at least Godric wouldn't ignore her, and she knew that he had to be a great dancer. She prayed to any gods that might be listening that she didn't step on his feet.

Her stomach sank at the thought. What if she stepped on her dress in her impossible heels, and fell flat on her face? She really, really hoped she didn't do that. She would never ever be able to live it down, because vampires never forgot anything, and they were horrible gossips.

Isabel laughed softly as she carefully touched up her blood-red lipstick in the mirror, her indigo dress a gorgeous compliment to her dark hair and eyes. "Alex, you _are_ a human virgin, but no one is going to compare this gown to a wedding dress. Or laugh at you. You will stand out from all others as innocence is much more appealing than I think you realize. You should enjoy this time in your life for what it is."

She turned, and placed a gentle hand on the nervous teen's bare shoulder. For a moment her mind flashed back centuries ago to when she had comforted her much younger sister before her coming out ball. Her little Estella had been more her daughter than a sibling, since she had practically raised her when their mother died in childbirth. Her sister had been equally as nervous, and Isabel's heart ached at the memory even as she turned her attention back to Alex. "You are not yet fully an adult, but you are a young woman and this dress highlights the cusp you stand upon. It just so happens it does a fantastic job of highlighting your feminine attributes while also emphasizing your physical innocence."

Isabel smiled wickedly since she had chosen the gown specifically for the red and white combination that she knew would appeal to one specific vampire in particular. Call her a romantic, but she saw something special between them even if both Ancients were convinced that Godric would never be gifted with a mate. If nothing else, she had decided that protecting Alex from other males would distract Godric from his own inner troubles. She focused back on a clearly nervous Alex.

Alex fidgeted, and looked down at her shoes. "Do you think he … I mean, do you think my family will like it?" She glanced worriedly up at the woman she was quickly coming to view as someone she could ask questions she was too embarrassed to ask a bunch of guys. Was this what it would have been like to have had a mom? Could she talk to Isabel about the confusing feelings she had towards Godric, or would that be a bad idea considering she was his Second?

"Oh, Alex," Isabel said, her eyes glimmering with mirth. "I guarantee they will love it for how wonderful you look, but as over-protective father and brothers, they will hate it!"

* * *

Gabriel sighed, and looked again at his watch. "How long does it take to put on a dress and shoes?" He was irritated as he wished to make sure he had adequate time to peruse the donors before he decided on which would warm his bed after the blood orgy. He had dearly missed such sport, and hoped to enjoy himself after they spent time determining the identity of their enemy.

Eric snorted and continued to play a friendly game of poker with Bennet and Josiah. Well, friendly in that all they were betting was money, and not which government or country they wished to start a civil war in next. Morocco had taken a good hundred years to recover from their last 'serious' game. "Knowing my Pam, they'll still be awhile."

Josiah shot a glance over at Eric, his eyes chill. "I take it you had words with her?"

Eric nodded, his eyes flicking over to his blank-faced Maker. It would take a long time for Pam to gain back his father's good graces. "She is not allowed to speak to her other than to specifically help in the girl's preparations. If she so much as makes your sister frown, I will do more than just cut off her hair, and donate all of her shoes to the local homeless shelters."

Josiah nodded. He had walked in on the tail end of Eric's decision about Pam's punishment earlier, and he was still smirking at the female's horror. He truly hoped she enjoyed shopping at Walmart for all her clothing needs for the next year.

At Gabriel's continued grumbling, Josiah threw down his pair of fours in disgust, and rolled his eyes. "Gabe, it's Alex's first ball, can you at least try and let her enjoy herself? You know how excited she is." He ignored his eldest brother's sharp glance, and the anger he sent him over their sibling bond.

"Theron," Gabriel asked, obviously ignoring his younger brother. "Are you sure about this? No one is required to ask permission to approach her, and the danger—"

Theron calmly interrupted him from where he sat on the sofa reading a book about, of all things, teenage human development. "She will be well guarded at this gathering. What she is will help guarantee her protection from more than just this nest and our allies."

Gabriel's fists clenched as he looked at the two calm Ancients. "Just because she smells like a Fated Mate doesn't mean that older vampire can't hurt her, and there will be many who try and sway her to them considering she is the first of her kind found before eighteen."

Godric and Theron shared a quick glance, but it was the Dallas Sheriff who answered. "Peace, young one, for that has also been taken care of. Your sister will be safe this night."

Eric frowned, surprised at the odd range of emotion he could feel from his normally unflappable Maker. Was he actually … nervous? Godric kept fiddling with an object in his suit pocket, and Eric's eyes narrowed as he tried to determine what was going on. For some reason his father's scent was stronger and more forceful than usual, although he had chalked it up to the tense atmosphere. What was Godric up to? Unless one of them stayed plastered to Alex's side all night, he sincerely doubted the younger vampires could be kept from swarming her.

The room's attention was caught by the opening door, and everyone politely stood as Isabel and Pam made their appearance. Pam bowed, her eyes averted from everyone as she swiftly headed to her room, skirting quickly by her grand-maker. Isabel was, as always, impeccably dressed in a sleek gown of deepest indigo. She was intelligence, sexuality and power wrapped up in a lovely feminine package that would have both human and vampire men angling for her attention.

Godric's eyes narrowed slightly at his Second's amused glance in his direction, before he saw the shyly hesitant figure dressed in shimmering cream that stood outlined behind her in the doorway.

_Shock_.

He felt like he had been kicked in the chest as unneeded breath caught in his lungs. When had this happened? When had the child he had guarded years ago changed, and how had he not noticed over the past few days? She was a vision of innocence, and he swallowed thickly as his eyes skimmed slowly over her collarbones and shoulders, the fair skin only interrupted by two red gemstone straps that twined around her graceful neck. A neck that was laid scandalously bare by her upswept hair, her dark red tresses pinned in elaborate twists with brilliantly sparkling diamond studs that brought attention to her lovely face. He stared, aware that there was movement and talking around him, but completely shocked into stillness. Alex's face was equally as transformed as the rest of her, the careful makeup highlighting and hinting at the lovely woman she would soon be.

_Anger._

What was she wearing?! He wanted to throttle his Second. What had Isabel been _thinking_?! How could she dress his sweetly innocent Firefly in such a suggestive garment? He had imagined his Second would have put her in something more appropriate to her youth, and not this … this …

He wasn't sure how to describe exactly how he felt about this barely-there piece of clinging fabric masquerading as a respectable ballgown. For the gods' sake, there was an actual _slit_ in the dress that showed a flash of leg each time she moved! It didn't matter that she was covered far more than most would, anything less than a burlap sack was too inappropriate for where they would be going this eve.

_Confusion._

She was truly lovely, the dress a startling contrast to her titan hair and dark eyes. The halter straps gleamed the color of freshly spilled blood, and his eyes unwillingly strayed to the soft movement of her pulse, the skin still unmarked by a mating bite. Invisible to humans, the halter design and her upswept hair laid plain the twin silvery rune-marks of a Fated Mate on either side of her neck, a warning to all vampires that she was not to be touched in any way. He deeply regretted the fact that giant hoop skirts and yards upon yards of petticoats and underskirts had gone out of fashion over a century ago, although at the time he had been grateful for the easier access the lack of such garments gave.

He bit back a growl. If any vampire at the ball thought that this dress gave them 'easy access' to Alex, he would rip out their entrails.

_Unease._

He swallowed harshly as his eyes traced over her surprisingly womanly figure. She was small in stature, even in her heels she was still shorter than his own modest height, but her still developing form promised a lushness that was both eminently appealing … and disturbing. He shook his head, shoving the inappropriate thoughts aside.

He frowned, and opened his mouth to harshly berate his Second, but the words died unsaid as a particularly outlandish compliment from Bennet had a blush sweeping from her décolletage and up her neck, to finally burn across her cheeks. The effect of her blush was sweetly charming, and he breathed an internal sigh of relief. This was proof that she was still the same as she ever was, and that she was still just a young girl.

Before he could say anything, Alex turned and posed so that her back was to them, the laughing glance she tossed over her shoulder at Bennet's appreciative whistle unintentionally coy and seductive. The moment he thought that, her gaze shifted to meet his, and just how lovely she was pierced him to the core.

It completely destroyed his belief that she was still just a child.

If Godric had a heartbeat it would be racing with his anger at the sight of her bare skin, her fairness and petite physique only highlighted by the single, glittering red strap that ran like a stream of fresh blood teasingly from her neck down to the vulnerable small of her back.

To his horror, Godric found himself briefly wondering if the skin there was as soft as it looked. His fangs ached to fall, and he fought for control. He was furious at the idea of anyone actually laying their hand on that sensitive area as they led her in a dance, and he wanted to wrap her in his jacket and lock her in her room.

_Denial. _

He blamed the dress for his thoughts, that damnable dress that met a bare inch above the start of her backside as it lovingly skimmed over her curves to fall in a gentle drape to the floor. If his Second embodied the fully bloomed flower of female beauty, his Firefly was the polar opposite, an innocent bud just beginning to unfurl.

He was grimly determined that she would stay that way, even if he had to terrorize every single vampire into staying away from her. Surely she would be satisfied with just attending the ball, and not dancing. It was, after all, for her own safety. He finally snapped back into awareness when his old friend moved from his side towards Alex.

"Daughter," Theron said, "it is traditional for a family to give a girl small gifts to celebrate her first ball, and her coming of age."

Godric was silent as Theron clasped a delicate bracelet around Alex's wrist, unhappy with just how difficult it would be to keep the others at a respectful distance considering she looked like vampire bait. If it were not for her scent and the chains it placed upon his kind, along with the danger of her blood for those not her mate, he knew she would not leave the ball untouched. Even with such safety measures, he was grimly pleased that Theron had accepted his further offer of protection for his daughter. Many vampires were unscrupulous and easily carried away by lust, and he would be damned to the furthest pits of hell if their greed broke the laughter and joy in her beautiful eyes.

Guilt rolled through him. In his dark past she would not have even made it three steps past the threshold before he would have claimed her blood and seduced her body for his own.

The idea that she could have been one of his victims he had left used and forgotten, body twisted and drained on the floor behind him filled him with horrified repugnance that abruptly brought him to his senses. With iron control, he locked down his emotions behind his infamously calm facade. He stepped forward, the figurative blood on his hands making him feel monstrous and unworthy, and watched as Alex eagerly turned to him.

He stared down into her nervous smile and, mindful of his audience, reached into his pocket and pulled out the gift he had worked on since she had sent him the sheriff's badge two years ago. Being able to give her this was perhaps one of the only reasons he was thankful for his infamous reputation.

"Child," he said with a forced calm he did not feel. He watched, confused, as her smile briefly faltered, and something flashed across her eyes. "With Theron's permission, I also have a token for you."

"Oh!" Alex said. She hadn't expected the gifts, and her face was burning from all the attention and teasing. Her brothers had given her a gorgeous pair of earrings, and her father a matching bracelet of delicately twisting white gold strands studded with rubies and diamonds. She had been so hoping for Godric to say something about how she looked, but he had been silent and distant, and she could tell he was not happy. It wasn't exactly the reaction she had hoped for, and she wanted to curse when he then called her 'child'. Her brows furrowed when he took a small item from his pocket, and something shifted slightly within her. What was that?

Godric removed the wrapped item from his pocket, and carefully folded back the red silk to show the gleaming, dark wooden hair ornament. He watched with quiet pleasure as her eyes widened, and her hand came up to run trembling fingers over the ornately carved moonflower blossom nestled in the protective curve of a large oak leaf. He ignored his son's sudden clamor within their bond, his attention fully on Alex. He wanted her to like his gift. No, he _needed _her to like it, his inner monster anxious at the idea that she would reject it as unworthy.

"Wow," Alex murmured, reaching out and running an admiring finger over the dark wood, her brief disappointment at his lack of response to her dress completely forgotten. The wood had delicately curved prongs to slip into her hair, but it was the amazingly realistic and detailed carving that held her attention. She almost expected that she would be able to smell the fragrance of the flower, and feel its soft petals if she brushed it against her cheek.

"It's so beautiful," she murmured. She looked closer, and for some reason the sight of the flower and oak leaf's position and intertwined stems reminded her of something … some half-remembered dream of an oak tree and moonflowers under a night sky …

"Did you make this?" she asked softly, her eyes never leaving the beautiful hair ornament in her hands. She was distantly aware that the room was dead silent, but nothing mattered other than this moment.

"Yes, from the tree next to the pond in Dallas."

She wanted to say something, about how much it meant that he had made it himself, and that it came from _their_ pond. She wanted to throw herself at him in a giant hug, but she restrained herself. She had tried to be careful to keep a proper distance from the Dallas Sheriff when her nest was around, as the last thing she wanted was another lecture on proper behavior from her dad.

"I wish for you to wear my token this eve."

Shocked, her gaze met Godric's, wondering at his stern tone. Wait a second … Did he mean …? Suddenly, she was filled with giddy pleasure, and she looked back down to hide her joy. He had made her a gift, carved it with his own hands, and then gave it to her in front of both of their nests and bloodlines. He had presented it to her with her father's _permission_! He had unwrapped it for her inspection, and had held it, waiting for her to accept or reject his gift.

Could this be …?

She was still three years too young for a formal Courting as a bonded companion … but this _could _be considered a Pre-Courting gift, right? Thats what the book said that she had 'borrowed' from her dad on vampire relationships. He even wanted her to wear this tonight, in full view of hundreds of other vampires! He was claiming his intentions towards her for everyone to see, and she was both really flustered, and incredibly happy.

Bursting with joy, she lifted glistening eyes to her favorite vampire who looked so very handsome in his formal wear. "It's beautiful," she repeated, and smiled blindingly up at him. She looked over at her nest expecting at least Bennet to tease her, and blinked at their blank expressions. Perhaps they couldn't say anything about Godric's intentions because she was still too young? It was sometimes so hard to figure out how vampire rules and laws applied to her, but she vaguely remembered that it was considered in extremely poor taste to directly mention Courting unless the two publicly stated their intentions.

Her confusion cleared. Yes, that had to be it. Vampires really did have the silliest rules sometimes, but she could play along. She didn't want anyone to think that she didn't honor her nest, and she wanted to show Godric that she understood that he was signaling his interest to her. "Of course I will wear it tonight. Thank you."

"Godric," Eric asked below human hearing, realizing just why his father had radiated such a concentrated scent. "What the hell have you done?"

Godric shot disapproval over their bond, and ignored him as he carefully watched a suddenly animated Isabel direct where Alex should place the comb in her hair. He was watchful, but knew that his Second was wise enough to not touch such a blood-token. It was for Alex, and for her hands alone. His very blood and all the power that it entailed had soaked into the heart of the wood and would react violently to any but Alex's touch.

Undeterred by his father's irritation, Eric pressed further. "The blood is sacred," he growled. "This is the one thing you have always taught me, Maker. I can't believe you actually soaked that comb in your blood. Everybody at the ball will be able to smell her coming before she's even off the damned elevator."

Theron nodded imperceptibly at Josiah, and his son turned and began to tease Alex, distracting her from realizing that there was a conversation going on below her hearing as they all headed to the door. She practically had a sixth sense about such things since her brothers had often used such tactics to plan their pranks on her.

"Good," Theron said cooly to the Viking. "I may not be able to refuse their approach at a ball, but I have absolutely no desire for any of them to paw at my underage daughter. She is fifteen, and for all that she has been raised like a vampire she is still naive and innocent in many ways."

He smiled at his oldest friend, grateful for Godric's help even though he had been rather surprised when the Gaul had shown him the comb. Then again, he knew how hard his friend wished for redemption over his past actions, and perhaps he saw protecting Alex as part of his redemption. "My bloodline is beholden to you."

Godric minutely shook his head as they all waited for the elevator to arrive. "There is no debt between us, Theron. It is my honor to help protect a Fated Mate."

_Liar_, Godric's inner monster growled. While he would give aid to any Fated Mate in distress, it was because of _Alex_ that he willingly parted with his blood. He was unwilling to look closer at his actions, content with listening to Alex chatter excitedly to Isabel and Josiah. He dared any vampire to so much as lay a finger upon her at the ball. If they did, he was fully prepared to give an exact reenactment of certain events from the distant past that had earned him the title of 'Death'.

He watched the light reflect off the diamonds scattered throughout her upswept hair, their brilliant light only a pale reflection of the beautiful soul that wore them. He would catch whoever dared to try and harm her just to revenge themselves on Theron, and he would rip the bastard's head clean off his or her body.

His blood-sworn oath on _that._

* * *

**_Some hours later …_**

Alex glanced at Godric from the corner of her eye as they waited for an elevator outside the ballroom, and internally sulked at his blank expression. Disappointment welled, and she bit her lip as she struggled to hide her hurt. The ball had been so different from what she had so gleefully imagined in her room after she and Godric and cleared the air. Instead of dancing the night away with him, she had been surrounded by strange vampires who insincerely flattered her.

Creepers. All of them.

Okay, so at first she had been pleased and flustered by the attention, unused to being looked at like she was pretty. Yet as the hours had dragged by, she had been forced to politely stand there on increasingly aching feet, her smile practically frozen on her face, and bored out of her mind. The vampires that surrounded her did not actually care about what she had to say. It hadn't taken her long to realize this when they had ignored any attempt to actually talk _to_ her. Instead, they seemed intent on one upping each other with stories on their wit and bloodthirsty acts, even as they kept a careful distance from her. They didn't treat her as a possible companion, there was no flirtatious innuendos or visible fangs, so she could only assume they were so 'interested' in her because they wished to make a good impression on her wealthy and powerful nest.

It had been hell.

When the dancing had taken a turn for what she had to admit was a rather fascinating carnality, the Dallas sheriff had come to collect her. It still puzzled her how quickly the irritating vampires who had not left her alone all night, yet did not see a need to remember she had human needs, had melted away at the Ancient's approached.

"Come, Alexandra."

For one glorious — and terrifying — moment, she had thought he wished to dance. The idea of even being in his arms for the proper ballroom dancing earlier had been enough to make her stomach feel full of butterflies, and the dancing that was starting now was anything but 'proper'.

So when she had realized that he was guiding her towards the exit, it had been like an icy shock of water. As the ballroom doors closed behind them, and she heard the music change to a deep, sensual beat, she knew that the blood orgy that she had once heard her brothers speak of when they thought she was asleep, was about to start.

They thought her still a child she realized, as grief and anger fought within her. What did she have to do to prove herself? It wasn't that she _wanted_ to be in an orgy. The idea of seeing her brothers, or worse, her _father,_ in one made her sick. Yet to be whisked away like some innocent little girl was … humiliating.

_He had never even asked her to dance. _

Tears burned in her eyes, and she glared down at the floor. Instead, he had danced with the Queen and several other females … all of whom, she had sadly realized, were older than her and exquisitely beautiful in dresses that left little to the imagination. Every single one of them had been tall and graceful with bouncy hair and perfect bodies that would put Jessica Rabbit to shame. Oh, and all of them had golden blonde hair that looked like sunlight. Her heart hurt. What hope did could she possibly have of competing with sophisticated women like that?

A thought struck her, and she looked up at her silent companion as the doors to the elevator finally opened and he politely gestured for her to enter first. Did he regret having to babysit her? Of having to leave the beautiful men and women who obviously knew much more than she on what pleased a vampire?

She had been so certain he would ask her to dance at least once … and now she felt like a stupid little girl playing dress up.

No one had asked her to dance.

Not even her brothers.

* * *

The quiet of the elevator was stifling, but Alex still hoped Godric would at least mention that she looked pretty in her dress now that they were alone. He had quietly complimented Isabel, but had barely looked at her, and she had gotten the impression that he wasn't really impressed.

Granted, he had given her his token, but … maybe he had changed his mind? Maybe he had already asked her dad to give it to her, and so was forced to still do so to not give insult? Isabel had said she didn't look stupid or ugly, but … no one had asked her to dance. She couldn't help but compare herself to the others at the ball, and her conclusions had not been good for her shaky self-confidence. She was short, had stupid red hair, and lacked the curves and poise of the other women. All the sites she had googled about flirting and dating said that as long as she felt attractive a guy's opinion didn't matter, but … it still really hurt to not get any more of a reaction from him than if she were wearing her brother's over-large clothes.

She rubbed at the ache in her chest as she desperately grabbed at straws for his behavior. Maybe … maybe he was just too shy to tell her? Or he hadn't wanted to compliment her in front of her nest? She knew he was a very private person, and not one for public displays of emotion. She hadn't said anything to him about how he looked, so perhaps he thought _she_ hadn't noticed _him_? She knew from her purloined book that it was normally up to a younger vampire to approach one older than them if they wished for any sort of relationship, and then they had to wait for the elder to decide if they were interested. She wasn't a vampire, but maybe he was expecting that from her since she grew up in a nest?

Oh gods, what if he had been waiting all night for _her_ to approach _him_, and she had totally flubbed it?! Maybe he had wanted to dance with her, but she had made it seem like she was more interested in the other vampires at the ball instead of him. It must have really hurt his feelings, especially after he gave her such a lovely gift. She couldn't let him think that!

Her fists clenched in the folds of her dress, and she gathered her courage. "You l-looked really nice tonight, Godric," she blurted awkwardly, and bit back a groan of self-disgust. Nice? _Nice? _Ha! He looked amazingly handsome in his fitted tux that showed off his trim body, the grey shirt further highlighting his pretty eyes, and all she could think of to say was that he looked 'nice'? No wonder he preferred to still be down there enjoying the conversation and personal attentions of the no doubt witty and beautiful vampires and humans.

Godric nodded distractedly at the comment, his mind and body hyper vigilant for any hint of danger to Alex. The night had been complete hell as he had been forced to watch as Alex was surrounded by younger vampires who vied for her attention in their foolish hope that somehow her approval would influence her future Mating. Those ignorant whelps were not worthy of her, and he was darkly pleased to note that the scent of his blood kept them at an appropriate distance. When one of those younglings had looked like they may ignore the clear warning, a sharp glare and a heavy press of power had quickly changed their minds.

He had been forced as the oldest unmated vampire present to open the dance with the Illinois Queen, and then also dance with her three vapid Children who had obviously only been chosen because of their physical appearance. It was not a duty he had enjoyed, and he was disgusted at the young Queen's gauche attempts at flirtation. He had almost crushed the annoying woman's hand when he had seen her Consort move in Alex's direction. Godric had heard rumors about the male's brutal predilection for teenage female humans, and he was fully prepared to rip the bastard's hand off if the other had not heeded the scent-warning. To say that the Queen had been unhappy about Godric's sharp verbal warning to tell her Consort to heel, had been obvious.

Not that he gave a damn what such an infant thought of his actions. Queen she may be, but he was the second oldest vampire and had a reputation even older vampires feared. The woman could not even bear to meet his eyes by the end of their forced dance. He had been darkly amused that when the waltz, which seemed to have gone on forever, finally ended that she had hurried away as fast as decorum would allow. The following three dances with her boring and ill-chosen progeny had been a necessary evil, and when it was finally done he had refused any advances made to him. Not that there had been many, since it was a very well known fact that despite what vampire traditions dictated, _he_ would be the one approaching any possible romantic interest, and not the other way around.

His attention was brought back to the present as Alex jammed her thumb against the button for their floor, and crossed her arms with a huff.

"Little one, are you well?"

Alex glared at the elevator doors and, for the first time ever, pointedly ignored Godric. Her feet were on fire, her neck and head hurt from her hair being so tightly pinned into place, and all she wanted was to be in her comfy Christmas flamingo pajamas, and watch her favorite 'feel better' movie, _Zombieland_.

"Firefly?" Godric asked again, confused at her unusually sullen nature.

"I'm fine," she snapped. She had tried to compliment him, and it was obvious he was so irritated at leaving the ball that he had barely listened. Or maybe he was just angry at her, which was _completely_ unfair.

Godric raised a single eyebrow at her tone, his full attention on the sulking girl. "Obviously," he said, with dry amusement.

It was too much.

Alex had had enough. The night was a total wash, and now her feelings were being laughed at by someone who she had thought wouldn't hurt her. Who wouldn't make her feel as ugly and alone as humans did. Bile burned in her throat and her stomach heaved. The pain in her chest from the night before had never fully gone away, and it viciously spiked, stealing the breath from her lungs.

"I said," she growled through clenched teeth, "that I'm _fine_."

With quick movements she loosened her shoes and flung them from her feet, and watched as they thunked against the wall. The immediate relief almost brought tears to her eyes as she raised her hands and viciously tugged at the decorative jewels in her hair. She didn't want to be this dressed up mockery of herself anymore, wanted to go back in time and tell her earlier self to not even bother. This was just like what happened in Russia at her dance classes, but ten times worse because she hadn't mentally prepared herself.

Cool hands stopped her desperate movements, and gently turned her away from the door. Worried grey eyes met hers, but she refused to answer the question in their depths. She looked down at their feet, ignoring his soft sigh. She was so confused by his actions, and his hot and cold way of treating her.

She moved her hands out from underneath his, and curled them around her middle. Her breath caught when those delightfully cool hands slipped down the back of her skull to cup her neck, the thumbs pressing lightly on either side of her spine. The relief was instant, and she shuddered.

"My head hurts," she finally offered in her defense, unwilling to talk about what was really wrong. Her eyes slipped closed and she swallowed a whimper as he leaned closer, his fingers and thumbs gently pressing on the strained neck muscles.

"Oh," she whispered, and her irritation slipped away. That felt good. Really, really good, and the tension in her shoulders loosened. She stood there, unwilling to move and shocked by the unexpected intimacy. She trembled when his hands drifted up the back of her head, the fingers cool against her warm scalp as they slid delicately through her hair. She felt soft tugs, the movements amazingly gentle, and she raised her hands to steady herself against his waist.

The pain in her chest had turned warm and soft, and it healed some of the ache left over from the night before. His fingers continued to softly stroke through her hair, and with a content sigh she leaned her forehead to rest against his shoulder, giving him a better angle to work his magic. Uncertain of what to do, she just leaned her weight against him and off her painful feet. Everything was quiet, the only sound their mutual slow breathing.

The ding of the elevator doors sliding open coincided with the warm tumble of hair as the last pin was removed. Her heavy locks flowed in a thick blanket over his hands and arms, and she luxuriated as his scent surrounded her. His magic fingers lightly massaged her scalp as they moved back down to her neck, and she barely withheld a pitiful whimper as he gave one last press at the tender base of her skull before he slid his hands out of her hair.

The aching pull to not let him go surged, and she considered how easy it would be to raise her head the scant few inches needed to brush her mouth against his. She licked her lips nervously, her mouth suddenly dry. Maybe … maybe …

"Child, we are here," he said softly in her ear.

… or maybe not.

She shoved herself away from him, and stomped out of the elevator. Talk about a mood killer! How could he call her a kid after holding her like that? Is that how he saw her? As just some little girl? Why would he then give her a pre-Courting gift? Maybe she had been wrong, or misunderstood what the book had said? Were all men as confusing as him?

Godric watched in confusion as she yanked herself away from him and stomped down the hall and into the suite. Why was she so angry? Just seconds before she had been pliant and relaxed against him, her scent slowly returning to its normal happy tones. He followed her into the suite, automatically checking the rooms for any trespassers. He watched and grew worried when he saw her quickly drink several full glasses of water in quick succession.

"Alex, slow down. You act like you've had nothing to drink all night."

She shot a glare over her shoulder. "I haven't."

His eyebrows rose, and he quickly ran his eyes over her wan appearance. "There were refreshments at the ball, were they not to your liking?" He had seen the other humans imbibing, and knew that there were both alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks available. A dehydrated human's blood was unpalatably full of chemical distress, not to mention distastefully sludgy, and so humans were encouraged to drink as much as they could. Although Godric had never personal enjoyed the taste of alcohol in his donors, he knew that some vampires preferred the tart flavor it added to the blood.

Alex snorted and laughed bitterly. "Yeah, and it would have been nice if I had been able to get to them!"

Godric grew still. "Did none of those who spoke to you offer you anything to drink?" he asked dangerously. Modern manners may be lax compared to those of ages past, but it was still considered good form to ask a lady if she required refreshment. Granted, he would have definitely double checked before allowing her to partake of it, and woe onto any vampire who tried to give her something 'spiked'. He mentally swore when he realized his scent must have partially obscured hers, for it took more discipline than those baby vampires had to ignore a Fated Mate in even minor distress.

She rolled her eyes. "Please, those jerks only wanted to prove who was the bigger, badder vampire. They actually weren't interested in _me. _I could have just been a cardboard cutout for all the real attention they paid. I assume they were just trying to impress my father with how polite they were with his mortal daughter."

"Why didn't you get one yourself then? Or flag down a server?" Godric was confused, a feeling he did not enjoy, yet felt around Alex far too often.

"I tried to," she said flatly. "Even though they were glamoured, none of the servers wanted to get near so many loud vampires, and those fanged idiots ignored me, caught up in boasting. I tried to leave, but there were too many of them around me, and I didn't know how to get them to go away without being seriously rude and causing a scene."

She paused and fiddled with the mug in her hand, her fingernails clinking softly against the blue ceramic. "I didn't want to embarrass my nest again after what I did last night, ya know? Besides," she shot him a scathing look, her voice bitter and accusing. "Every time I tried to get my nest's attention, they were busy either schmoozing with others … or _dancing._"

Godric's eyebrows rose when she spat out the last word. An inkling of what was wrong began to form, even as he fought off the guilt of having given the impression of ignoring her all evening. He had been so intent on ferreting out the identity of their enemy that he must have appeared like he was ignoring her, which was most definitely not the case. He sometimes forgot that she was so young and still learning how to act amongst Supernaturals. It was one thing to know the rules of The Code, and another to actually utilize them correctly, and this was the first time other vampires were allowed to actually approach her. Such situations were one reason why a Child stayed for decades with their Makers before they were allowed to roam free.

"Alex—" he began, but was interrupted by riotous laughter, and a slamming door.

Bennet and Gabriel wandered into the common area, their clothes disheveled, and blood streaking their chins.

"What a wonderful party!" Bennet crowed, and collapsed on the couch. "The donors were both plentiful and appealing. Gods above, it was wonderful to let go for once!"

Gabriel ignored his younger brother, his gaze intently moving between his sister and the Sheriff. "Did you discover anything?" he asked bluntly, even as he ignored Josiah and Isabel's quieter entrance. He knew his father still spoke with several kings and queens below, and that the Viking was happily fucking his way through the dozens of humans and vampires still at the ball.

"No," Godric said calmly. "Whoever it was did not give themselves away so easily. We must be patient."

Bennet snorted and stretched out on the sofa, practically giddy off the rare blood he had sampled. "Well, at least Alex was safe! It's a good thing the Sheriff was able to keep everyone away from her. It's a hell of a lot easier to keep track of someone not flittering about a dance floor."

Godric winced, and his head snapped to the left at the sound of shattering glass. Alex stood, glass around her feet with droplets of water splattered across the front of her gown.

"What?" she whispered, and the look in her dark eyes made something in Godric twist.

There was a brief moment of silence as the others looked at each other.

Alex's hands fisted on her hips and she glared. "Bennet Makhaira! Answer me, damn it!"

She ignored Isabel's scandalized 'Alex!', her furious gaze never leaving her youngest brother.

"Alexandra," Godric sharply ordered. "Calm yourself." He did not need to see Isabel's frustrated glare to immediately know that it was the wrong approach. She was not an underling forced to comply to his wishes, or a vampire intimidated by his power and status.

She looked at Godric as she quickly put the pieces together. The realization broke her anger, but she tried to not jump to conclusions. "Why would you do that?"

"It was for your safety, little sister," Gabriel interjected. "It was just a ball, don't get hysterical and act like a silly mortal girl. We were not there just to have fun, but to try and figure out who is trying to kill you. Be grateful you were even allowed to go, kid."

Her gaze shifted away from a silent Godric to stare at her grumpy brother. "Don't get hysterical?" she asked in disbelief.

Gabriel rolled his eyes. "You survived the night, you should be bowing to the Sheriff for even bothering with you. Frankly, I'm surprised he has considering how big of a brat you've been since we got to Chicago."

Alex flinched, her shoulders curling down. Godric growled and shifted to stand in front of her, his aura so displeased that the irritable male jerked backwards in surprise. Cold grey eyes stared mercilessly at the younger vampire, before the soft words spoken behind him made him freeze.

"It was my first ball," Alex whispered, and when she straighten from her hunched position, her eyes were sad. "My very first ball, and all I wanted was to dance at least _one_ dance. To feel pretty and … and normal for one night. It may seem petty to all of you, but you know what I'll always remember?" she questioned softly, bitterly. "I'll always remember how I felt ugly, like nothing but a _silly mortal girl_, and how humiliating it was to see every other female get asked to dance when not even my brothers could be bothered."

She swallowed heavily and blinked quickly. "I guess I had just hoped …" her voice cracked, and she was horrified to realize she couldn't stop the flood of words. "Every girl thinks about her first dance, and … and I actually felt like I looked nice. Like maybe … maybe someone would actually _want_ to dance with me. So, yeah, Gabriel. I guess I really am just a silly mortal girl."

Carefully, she moved around the broken glass towards her room, the vampires silent behind her as she shut the door with a soft click.


	14. Chapter 10E

**A/N: Sorry for the delay, but life happens. Thank you to everyone who has read/reviewed my story. I'm a bit behind on my responses, but I will try to get to them over the next week as several of you have asked me specific questions. **

**As for this chapter, yes, the pain and drama continue. Sorry, but growing up is hard work. However, I promise the next one will be nice and fluffy. Also, a villain will be revealed, a secret will be discovered, and there will even be a few ripped off heads! **

**As a reminder, Alex is still 15. Both she and Godric have a ways to go to adjust their view of each other, and change is rarely comfortable. Bear with me, and I promise, things will not only get better but also much more exciting! One more chapter to go in this arc (and its 90% written) and then … time jump again! (That chapter is also almost completely written.)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of True Blood. Boo hiss. **

**Also, thank you to several readers (you know who you are) who have helped me plot bounce this chapter. You guys are amazing!**

* * *

**Chapter 10E**

Alex limped painfully into the shared common room, relieved to see that she was alone in the dark room. Not bothering to turn on any lights, she curled up in one of the chairs facing the floor to ceiling windows and pulled her knees up to her chest. Her braided hair was still damp from her shower, the cold weight of it draped over her left shoulder, the memory of feeling Godric's hands against her scalp now seemed like a distant dream.

"It's just not fair," she murmured and looked down at the wooden hair ornament balanced precariously on her raised knee. When Godric had presented it to her earlier, the words he had said as he waited for her to take it from his hand … the look in his eyes … she had thought … she had so hoped …

Her eyes burned, and the city lights blurred in her vision as she choked back tears. Her head ached, the pain from earlier never having fully gone away. Why had he given this to her if he was just going to ignore her all night? What had she done wrong?

She scrubbed at her eyes, remembering all the beautiful vampires and humans at the ball. Maybe he really did prefer women like those donors, and he only saw her as a — she shuddered at the thought — friend. Or worse, just some little girl that he had to keep saving as a favor to her dad. Maybe she had completely misunderstood the entire situation, and this was just a gift? Like the laptop and camera he gave her for Christmas?

She pressed her forehead against her knees, the hurt spiking viciously through her chest at the thought. Why was life so confusing? Why did she keep having these doubts, and _why_ couldn't she figure out her own emotions? Sometimes she just _knew _that there was something special between them, but then she would start over-thinking everything until she was so twisted up and anxious she just wanted to scream.

She shivered in the cool air, her wet hair not helping. She wished she had brought in a blanket or jacket, especially since she still wasn't comfortable being in her room and would probably sleep in the common area again.

Her thoughts turned back over her horrible evening. Was Godric _trying_ to drive her nuts? Why had he ignored her?

"Alex."

She jumped, startled at his sudden appearance.

"My apologies," he said softly from beside her. "I called your name, but you appear to be deep in thought this eve."

"Please, I really want to be by myself right now." She wanted to be left alone for a while, her feelings still raw from earlier. Suddenly, she knew exactly what it was she felt beyond the hurt and the pain.

_Disappointment._

She was angry with her brothers, and absolutely _furious_ with her father, but for some reason it was _Godric's_ actions hurt the most. He had disappointed her deeply, the crushing realization of how he had manipulated her making her chest twist painfully.

"Alexandra."

"Yeah?"

He stared at her, concerned at her listless reply, and her oddly muted scent of pain. "We should talk about what occurred this eve."

Anger started to brew, and she struggled to swallow it down. "What's there to talk about?"

"Everything tonight was for your safety," Godric said, and rested a hand on the small one that clutched his blood-token.

_Her safety?!_

Furious, she shoved his hand away and leaped to her feet, hiding a wince when her feet painfully hit the floor. "It's always about my safety!" she said. "When will I be allowed to just live my life? When will I even be consulted when something concerns me, instead of being left to stumble in the dark, trying to make sense of everything? I spent the entire night thinking —" She cut herself off, refusing to finish the statement.

"Little one—"

"Stop calling me that!" she snapped, glaring into annoyingly calm grey eyes. "I am not a 'little one' or a 'child.'"

Godric paused and raised an eyebrow at her insensible behavior. "Then stop acting like one."

She threw her hands up in the air and stalked over to the windows. She had to tell herself that no matter how annoyed she was with him, no matter how disappointed, it would be a really bad idea to wallop him over the head with one of the beaded couch pillows.

No matter how much he totally deserved it.

He took two quick steps towards her and spun her around to face him. "This is not a game, Alex. The enemy we are trying to uncover wants to kill you, do you not understand that?" he asked. "Not to mention the way you looked tonight was—" he bit off what he was going to say, struggling to find his legendary calm.

Alex turned her face away and closed her eyes, the hurt and shame making her throat feel tight. "Ugly," she whispered. "I must have looked ugly."

His anger came to a screeching halt. "Excuse me?"

"It was nice of Isabel to help me get ready, but … I guess not even her hundreds of years of experience could make me pretty." She swallowed heavily and fiddled with the hem of her well-worn t-shirt. "E-Especially compared to all the other women I saw tonight, so it's not surprising that n-no one wanted—"

"Stop."

She jerked, surprised at his harsh tone, and her gaze flew up to meet his.

"I do not _ever_," he said firmly, his hand moving to cup her chin, "want to hear you speak of yourself in such a disgusting way again."

"But—"

"_No." _

"Just because you don't want me to say it doesn't—mph!" Her words were cut off when his fingers pressed gently against her mouth.

Godric wondered how was it that Alex could make him come so close to losing his composure, something that had not truly happened in several centuries. How could she possible think such a thing? Did she truly not know how she had looked in that damned dress? More eyes than he had been comfortable with had rested on her this eve, and many a vampire had commented favorably on her developing form and figure.

It pricked at his temper, how easily and lustfully they spoke of her petite form. He knew that bets were already being placed on just who her mate would be, and he had gritted his teeth when one particularly young idiot had asked him for his opinion. It irritated him even more that one of his oldest friends, Pierre, was considered one of the top candidates.

"Alex, besides the fact that you are remarkably lovely even," he added with a teasing smile, "when your hair gives new meaning to the term 'bedhead', how could you possibly think that you were less than beautiful this eve? I know you received many compliments before you even left the suite. I also assume that there was a mirror in your dressing room. How can you think so poorly of yourself?"

She mumbled something, a blush staining her cheeks while her heart gave a happy thump. He thought she was 'lovely' and 'beautiful'? Really? _Her_? Even though she was short and had cranky red hair?

"Even with vampire hearing, I did not catch that, lit—" Godric caught himself with a wry smile, "—Alex."

"I said that …" she tried to look away, but his hand was still on her chin. "Um, that … that-you-didn't-say-anything-to-me-at-all-and-you-looked-disgusted," she finished in a rush.

At his surprised look, she tried to desperately backpedal, embarrassed that he now had to realize how much his opinion meant to her. "I know that Gabriel said you did something that made them not ask me to dance, but I _saw_ how their fangs came down each time one of the donors walked by. When they looked back at me, their fangs went back up. I'm not an idiot," she grumbled, raising her chin stubbornly. "I know what that means. It means I'm not pretty … or … or … um, you know."

She coughed awkwardly and shifted nervously on her feet. Talking to Godric and explaining how unappealing she knew herself to be was a _nightmare_. "I just wish I knew why I was so different," she said sadly.

"Alex …" He trailed off. He cursed the promise he had given Theron so many years ago. How was he supposed to explain to her that those younglings downstairs were unable to go against their instincts that would not let them even show their fangs to a Fated Mate? That it was a safety measure her kind had, and that none younger than perhaps nine centuries would have the strength to deny those urges.

As for himself, surely he had complimented her on her appearance, regardless of his shock? He cast his mind back, and to his intense embarrassment— an emotion he had not felt for at least seventy-five years— he realized that he had done nothing other than giving her his token. He had been so distracted by that dress, and how he was going to rip apart anyone who dared try and touch her, that he had not spoken a single word to her until they were in the elevator.

Before he could explain, Alex spoke, her voice and expression surprisingly firm and direct.

"I'm not a vampire, Godric. I've been raised as one, and maybe that makes me not really a human. I don't know." She hesitated, her eyes locked with his. "I'm mortal, and I have no idea if anyone will ever feel the call to be my Maker. I may die tomorrow, or the next day, or the one after that. Nobody knows what my future holds, and I just want to experience what I can of life before that happens. I will never be as old as my family, but that doesn't mean that they have the right, that _any_ of you have the right, to talk over my head and treat me like a kid for the rest of my days. I may still be young, but I'm not stupid. I just wish you had told me."

One thing had been bugging her for the last hour. "How did you keep all of them from asking me to dance? I saw you at the ball, you never even looked in my direction … even when you weren't dancing with the Queen and those other women." She blushed, realizing she had just admitted to watching him throughout the night.

"Why are you really angry, Alex? I know you're frustrated by how tightly you are protected, but did you truly wish to dance with those you earlier called 'jerks'?" He lifted a teasing eyebrow as he said the modern colloquialism, feeling like he was finally getting to the root of the matter, and why she had looked at him as if he had betrayed her.

"No, I didn't," Alex said grudgingly. "But it still would've been nice to have been asked."

"So are you truly only angry because we did not consult with you on our actions this eve? Or is it only because you felt overlooked?"

She bit her lip and refused to answer.

After a moment, Godric shook his head and turned to leave. "Perhaps tomorrow after some reflection you will be more inclined to answer the question." He had just reached the door to his nest when her soft whisper made him stop.

"It didn't really surprise me, my brothers did not think about me," she said, her gaze firmly on the city. "I know they've changed a lot of their lives to raise me, and that they try and temper some of the more sexual and violent aspects of vampiric life around me. I'm not as blind and deaf as they think, and I have a very good idea of what a typical nest is like. I don't begrudge them a night where they can be as their nature dictates, without the burden of a fragile, mortal sister. They were also busy looking for our enemy, as well as making sure our nest's standing remains strong in the changing political climate. Isabel had to work as your Second during the gala, and Eric —" she scoffed at the very thought of the Viking doing anything nice that didn't benefit himself or his bloodline. "Well, Eric was busy enjoying the local, er, flavor."

Godric moved back towards her as he listened to her halting words. The pause, this time, was longer.

"But … but I thought … " she trailed off, struggling with how to say what she felt.

"Thought what, Firefly?"

Her lips trembled slightly. His words were said in the gentle tone that had always made her feel safe, even as a small girl. The pull she felt in her chest, the need she had to open up to him, to explain something she barely understood herself, was consuming.

"I thought that since we're friends that at least you would want to dance with me … a-and it disappointed and hurt me to realize that you didn't. That when given a choice, you also prefer others of your own kind. Or that maybe I just looked so bad that you didn't want to be seen next to me in public. Or … or maybe I'm good enough to be friends with here, but not out where people can see us."

Her voice hitched, and she looked up at him, searching for something and not knowing what. "G-Godric, I'm always on the outside looking in, and … I … and …" her voice caught again, but she somehow forced out the words. "I should have known better. Shouldn't have thought that maybe tonight would be d-different."

He reacted without thinking, pulling her into a close hug, completely taken aback by her thoughts and pain. Had she truly wanted to dance with him?

"Shh, Alex. Please, Firefly, do not think so ill of yourself." Instinctually needing to soothe, he began to rock slightly side to side, his purrs the only sound beside her uneven breaths.

He remembered the dance with the Illinois Queen and her three Children, and how boring and unpleasant it had been. Had she really thought he would enjoy spending time with such … what did Eric call such women? Ah, yes. _Floozies._ How could she believe herself so inferior? How could she even think he could be interested in such vapid women? How had Theron not seen her low self-esteem, and hastened to correct it?

The last statement she said caught his attention. "What do you mean by 'different'?"

She pulled away from the comfort of his arms. She wished she could stay in them longer, but she was embarrassed to admit to _Godric_ just how ostracized she was by humans. What a great way to feel like a complete and total loser. "Dad signed me up for dance classes when we lived in Russia. We had just moved there from China, and I was so happy because things with my friends had turned weird. They no longer wanted anything to do with me, the guys especially. I thought maybe Russia would be different. A new start, ya know?"

She looked up at him, relaxing when he gave her a nod to continue her story. "The first day I was so excited because I had listened to my brothers talk about the balls they had gone to for years." She smiled briefly, bitterly. "I had just turned twelve, and Dad even let me buy a new dress and shoes because I wanted so badly to make a good first impression. When I walked in my first class … it was like China all over again, and its never changed since then. I tried to make friends, but it was already hard because I'm not very good at being human."

She shrugged, trying to act like it didn't bother her, fiddling with the carved wooden comb in her hand. "So yeah. Nobody ever wanted to dance with me in my classes. The teacher would sometimes force one of the boys to partner me, but I spent most of the time watching from the sidelines. Human kids aren't very nice. At least most adults try to be somewhat polite, but kids and teenagers are horrible."

She jumped, startled by the sudden, deep growl that she could feel in her bones. "Godric?"

"How many?"

"What?" she asked, confused.

"How many classes were you forced to sit through, thinking that there was something wrong with you?"

She shrugged. "It was twice a week for four months." She stared, confused when his growl only deepened. Movement caught her attention and she looked over to where Pam stood frozen in the doorway before the female vanished in response to her grand-maker's glare. Alex blinked when he turned his attention back towards her, confused at what had clearly terrified the female vampire. Godric was angry, but it wasn't like he was going to rip her heart out or anything. Pam really was a wuss.

Why," Godric asked dangerously, "did Theron allow you to be continually humiliated?"

"I, um, never told him. I never told Brian or George either."

He closed his eyes, searching for control. He was angry at the situation he found himself in, bound by his word to her father to not tell her what she was, and furious that such harm had fallen upon her under her nest's care. "They were fools, all of them." He stepped closer, his hand coming up to gently run down her still damp braid, his eyes never leaving hers. "You are not ugly, and there is nothing wrong with you."

She blushed bright red, the heat blazing across her cheeks even as her gaze never left his. "Really?" she asked, her voice trembling.

"Really."

She smiled up at him. "Thank you, Godric."

Guilt filled him at the look of trust in her eyes. Would she still trust him, any of them, when she finally learned what she was? Would she understand that her father only wanted the best for her, and give her as normal a childhood as possible? Godric had planned to keep the true meaning of his gift secret, but he would not, could not, let her continue to believe that she was alone.

"You asked earlier how I was able to influence the others away from you."

She blinked, taken aback by the apparent non-sequitur. "Yes?"

It was his turn to look out the glass to the city below, his hands clasped behind his back. He was unused to explaining his inner thoughts and feelings and rarely did so even to his own progeny. The fact that he was willing to try with Alex was oddly surprising, but it just felt _right_.

"The comb I gave you is no ordinary hair ornament." He watched her reflection in the glass as she looked down at the small object in her hand. "The dark color is not from some stain, as you may have thought. Two years ago I carved this for you from the oak tree in my garden. It was to be ready in the event that there was ever a time you needed further protection than what your nest or your mat—" he stopped himself, and smoothly changed directions, "—maturing fighting abilities could handle. Once a week for the last two years, I bathed the wood in my blood until it soaked into the very heart of the grain. Until the scent would be easily detectable decades from now, and act as a warning and deterrent to all Supernaturals."

He turned towards her, his face serious. "The blood does not just carry my scent, Alex, it carries the full weight of my power and years. It is a gift of my bloodline, to be able to imbue our power into our blood, and to transfer it to an object."

"The blood is sacred," she whispered. No wonder the vampires at the ball did not ask her to dance. He had claimed his interest in her, had admitted that she mattered enough to him to part with his _blood_. Her heart pounded, and her hands trembled as they protectively cupped the most beautiful gift she had ever been given.

His eyes searched hers. "Yes."

"You … " speechless, she just stared at him. It was a vampire's greatest law, and at the heart of The Code. Everything revolved around blood, and for him to give her this meant the world to her. That he trusted her enough to hold and guard some of his blood was the greatest compliment she had ever been given.

_Joy._

She grinned when she realized that she had been right about this being a huge hint at his interest in her as a companion and bondmate. After her shower, she had looked at the copy she had made of her father's book, and double checked to see if maybe she had been wrong about his gift. Thank the gods that she had taken the opportunity last year in Venice to 'borrow' several of the books her dad had refused to show her until she was older. It had been both a fascinating and eye-opening experience on the true nature of vampires, and she still blushed at the memory of the vampire version of the Kama Sutra she had stumbled across. She may or may not have taken some pictures with her camera to study later, and had decided that she really needed to work on her yoga if she was going to have a chance in hell of keeping up.

"Alex?"

Warmth moved within her, the odd feeling coming from her chest and spreading until she felt it from her fingers to her toes. It surrounded her, and the distant pain of her headache from earlier in the evening finally went away.

"Thank you," she said, wincing slightly when her voice cracked. She couldn't speak of their future Courting, was unable to do so until she reached her majority, but she gave him as significant a look as she could. "I love it," she said. "You honor me."

He smiled, charmed more by her shyly pleased response than from any of the practiced flirtations of those at the ball. "You please me greatly by accepting my token, Firefly."

She hid another smile, contemplating how wonderful it would be when she turned eighteen, and they could Court properly. She was already considering what Initiation into Courtship gift she could give Godric when it came time to approach him.

Could life get any better than this?

* * *

Godric smiled at Alex's pleasure as he told her the true nature of his gift. He was glad she understood the solemnity behind it, and that what had happened at the dance had not been because of there being anything wrong with her.

His eyes traced over her blushing features as he remembered how captivating she had looked. Pleasure filled him when she immediately unbraided her hair, setting the comb in her now loose tresses. He had always liked red hair as the color had been both rare and exotic when he had been human, and the shade she bore was particularly attractive. He remembered the warm, silky feel of it as it draped over his arms in the elevator, and he could still smell traces of her scent upon his skin.

Yes, she had looked lovely earlier, but this … _this_ is what he looked forward to each night that he rose. She was relaxed and happy, and it pleased him that she did not fear him.

Feeling unusually playful, he gave a teasing smile as he performed one of the overly extravagant bows from the 17th-century French court of King Louis XIV. "My lady, would you honor me with a dance?"

Surprised, Alex giggled and gestured at his tuxedo-clad form. "Godric, I'm in my pajamas. _Flannel_ pajamas! I'm hardly dressed for dancing with someone as grand looking as you."

His smile only widened, and a dimple flashed. "I disagree, but if it makes you uncomfortable …" he trailed off with a shrug, and with quick movements he removed his tie and jacket, untucked his shirt, and rolled up the cuffs of his sleeves.

Her eyes widened as they traveled over him. She had thought he looked both amazing and intimidating in a tux, but now … now he looked more like _her_ Godric. The one she spent the scant few hours they had alone together before the others rose. Not the aloof Sheriff Godric of Area 9, but just her Godric who liked to quietly read, and who surprisingly enjoyed watching zombie movies. Even if he made snarky comments the entire time about how unrealistic they were. He had even watched _The Princess Bride _without complaint, which was more than she could say for her brothers.

She wanted to touch him, to … to … Her knees grew oddly weak, and she sank down onto a nearby chair.

"I'm not even wearing shoes," she blurted as her hands tugged nervously on the hem of her shirt. Why hadn't she put on something nicer, instead of her favorite pair of well-worn pajamas? The shirt even had a hole in the shoulder!

He shrugged carelessly and toed off his dress shoes and socks to stand barefoot on the wood floor, his hand never lowering. "Easily fixed, my lady."

Gods above, even his _feet_ were sexy. She hadn't even known feet could be sexy. She so wanted to dance with him, but then reality hit, and her shoulders slumped. "I want to dance with you, good sir, but I can't."

"Why not?" he asked softly as he crouched next to her sitting form.

She became momentarily lost in his grey eyes, the words dying on her lips unsaid. Old eyes. Ancient eyes. Eyes that had seen so much she wondered sometimes how he could ever find her interesting.

"Humans, at least this human, aren't meant to stand in six-inch heels for hours at a time," she said apologetically. "Especially when I've never worn them before, and the shoes are new. My feet are killing me."

Godric frowned and quickly picked up a sock covered foot. His hand paused as he reached for her ankle, the habits and manners of a century past rearing their head. He remembered when seeing a woman's ankle was positively indecent. "May I?"

She was worried he would be disgusted. What if her feet stunk? She had washed them in the shower, and the socks were clean, but … they were _feet. _Thank the gods Pam had insisted she get a pedicure, so at least her toenails looked pretty. "They're kind of gross looking right now."

He started to gently ease off her sock. "I survived viewing the results of the Black Plague, and the various poxes and wars throughout history, Alex. I think I can look at an injury you received from your insensible footwear without …" his voice trailed off.

Her foot was swollen, and her toes bore the beginnings of several painful looking blisters. Where the straps had dug into her skin and rubbed the flesh raw, and he could see the beginnings of several bruises on her fair skin.

He slid his hand to the bottom of her heel, his touch delicate, and his anger increased when he felt the heat emanating from the ball of her foot from where her weight had bore down on them from her too-tall heels. He barely even noticed the dark red nail polish, even though he off-handedly thought that it looked wonderful against her pale skin.

"Does the other one look the same?" he asked quietly, his grey eyes stern when he glanced up at her. His fingers moved softly and soothingly over the abused appendage, his thumb pressing gently into her arch. Her skin was so very warm and soft, and he could feel the blood rushing through her veins, as well as the beat of her heart under his thumb.

"Yeah. I didn't think they would be that bad, really. I couldn't feel them after the first hour of standing. It didn't get really painful until I sat down after my shower and they started swelling up and throbbing like crazy." Her voice was equally quiet as she watched him run cool fingers over her aching skin.

She shivered at his touch, not wanting him to stop, and glad that she wasn't ticklish. Well, not ticklish on her _feet_.

"W-what are you doing?" she asked nervously when he moved to sit on the other chair, his hands easily shifting her so that both her feet rested on his thighs. She cursed her fair skin, knowing that she was blushing _again_.

He shot her an amused look as he cupped her feet in his hands. "My lower body temperature should help cool the inflammation, and in twenty minutes I do believe I have a spot on your dance card." His lopsided smile was achingly sweet. "I have it on good authority that every woman dreams about her very first dance."

Her lips trembled, and the blossoming warmth in her chest took her breath away. Was it silly that the fact he was willing to cuddle her feet made her feel all gooey deep inside? She nodded, and for a moment felt really young and unsure of how to, as Bennet would say, 'make a move'. Should she do something? What could she do that wouldn't have her blushing like an idiot, or proving just how inexperienced she was? She had to wait until she was eighteen until she could approach him to start Courting, but maybe … maybe …

The silence was broken only by her shaky breaths. "Um, do you even like to dance?" she asked, and tried not to whimper when he began to massage her toes. She couldn't help but flex her feet and marvel at his firm yet gentle hold.

"It depends on my partner, but nine times out of ten, I prefer to abstain. The only reason I did so tonight was to fulfill my duties as the oldest, unmated vampire present, and as such I was required to open the dance with the Queen. Although," he smiled darkly, "I do not believe she enjoyed the experience. The other three females are her Children, and as such it would have been considered an insult to not have partnered them in at least one dance. Tensions are already high enough without adding to them further."

"The Queen is coo-coo bananas then." Alex slapped a hand over her mouth. Why couldn't a hole open up and swallow her before she humiliated herself even more? Was it possible to be this bad at flirting? Pam had made it look so easy when they had been at the spa, and Alex had carefully watched Isabel's actions towards several men. She had even practiced some flirty comments in the mirror while her family slept, but instead of sounding like a female 007, she always babbled like an idiot.

Life was seriously not fair.

Godric kindly pretended not to hear her comment, although he rather enjoyed the heady smell of the blood rushing to her face. Few women these days truly blushed, and he enjoyed her lack of calculated flirting.

Absentmindedly, his thumbs moved to brush in soothing circles over her ankles. It was relaxing to have this quiet time with her, especially since they were unable to spend their normal afternoon together earlier this eve.

Was he trying to melt her into a puddle of goo? All she could think about was how softly his hands cradled her feet even as he went into downtime. She tried to discreetly look at him in his rumpled fancy clothes and untucked shirt like the men on the covers of the bodice ripper romance novels she secretly read. Thank the gods he was zoned out so that she had a moment to compose herself before she started babbling about how pretty he looked in the moonlight, or some other such nonsense.

Even though he really was so handsome it took her breath away.

"Can I tell you a secret?" she whispered and smiled when his eyes immediately opened and met hers. At his nod, she made a show of looking left and right for any listeners. "I hated the shoes. Don't tell Pam, okay? She made a huge deal about me wearing my first heels. Some metaphor about going from a girl to a woman, and how it was the most important transition of my life, or something like that. I stopped listening after the first half-hour."

He rolled his eyes, easily able to imagine his grand-progeny giving such a speech. He leaned forward and said in the same low tone, "I had noticed you left them in the elevator."

"I don't know what you're talking about," she said with an impish look. She loved this playful side of him and thought that he looked even more handsome than normal.

Godric interrupted her internal musings. "Are you ready for your dance, my lady?"

She nodded and tried to stand, only to be swept up in his arms. "What?!" she sputtered, trying her best to ignore how nice it felt to be cradled against him.

He smiled down at her and settled her so that she stood securely on his bare feet. With careful strength, he supported her so that very little of her weight actually rested on her bruised limbs.

"What will be dancing to this night, my lord?" she asked and hoped she didn't embarrass herself. At least she didn't have to worry about stepping on his toes since she was already on them!

"I believe a Venetian waltz would be appropriate for your very first real dance," he murmured as he began to move them easily around the room. She relaxed and tried to ignore the distracting feeling of his muscles bunching and moving under the hands she braced on his strong shoulders.

When he softly began to hum an old ballad, she cuddled closer, her head against his shoulder with her nose just inches away from his neck. His left arm slid firmly around her waist, easily adjusting his hold. She didn't care that technically she was supposed to be dancing with 'locked arms' and 'a respectable distance between her and her partner'. What did that matter when with each breath she could smell his wonderful scent of oak and warmth?

He danced them around the chairs, and between the sofa and coffee table, the faint light of the illuminated city casting shadows across the wood floors.

_Contentment._

"This is nice," she muttered into his shoulder.

The humming briefly stopped. "Am I forgiven, then?"

She shivered when he breathed the question into her ear. "Always," she promised. The feel of his bare feet under hers was oddly thrilling, and she never wanted this to end. She felt at peace, her troubles falling away as they moved slowly around their own personal dance floor.

Several minutes later, Godric slowed to a halt, carefully lifting and lowering her onto the sofa. For a moment that seemed to last for hours, he remained crouched next to her, a bubble of silence enclosing them. She looked nervously down at her twiddling fingers. She wanted to say something charming and flirtatious, but her mind was completely blank.

When he sighed, she looked up, completely dazzled by the sight of him. He had never looked more handsome, his eyes a gentle grey with the hint of a smile tugging at his mouth.

Her mind began to whirl. Was he going to kiss her? Did she want him to? Her only experience being kissed had involved drool and her nose being smashed against a cheek. Godric had to be better at it than that boy, right?

"Thank you, my lady," he said and tucked a soft strand of hair behind her ear before he took her hand in his. "I enjoyed our dance."

She cleared her throat nervously. "Y-you're welcome, Godric. Thank you for my first dance." His eyes met hers, and the intensity of his gaze made her feel special, like she was the only girl in the world. His unexpectedly serious tone thus took her by surprise.

"Alex, I am not perfect. I have walked this world for 2000 years, but I am still just a man and I make mistakes. I am sorry that our … that _my_ oversight caused you such distress."

"I …" She started, a strange, shifting feeling moving within her.

_He was not perfect. _

It was an earth-shattering thought, even though it really should not have been.

_Oh, gods! What had she done?!_

"No!" Filled with loathing, she tried to jerk away from him. "Let me go," she said, her voice shaking so much it was barely understandable. "Godric," she pleaded, "please!"

"Alex?!" Godric asked, alarmed. He ignored how she tried to escape his grasp. What was going on? Her heart was beating triple time in her chest, the sound echoing in his ears while her scent pricked at his instincts to help her.

He stared at her, his eyes intent upon hers when he finally came to what he believed to be the logical reason behind her response. Disappointment and disillusionment speared through him, more painful than he would have thought possible.

"Is it that hard to believe that I am just a man?" he asked bitterly. Her stunned silence seemed answer enough. He was about to release her, to move away and give her the space she seemed to so desperately want, when she suddenly collapsed forward, her forehead resting against his shoulder.

"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry." Tears burned in her eyes, only to be soaked up by his expensive shirt. "Godric," she whispered desperately, "can you forgive me?" She felt out of control, unable to concentrate beyond the pain in her head and chest. He had been so kind to her the last few days, and her repayment was to throw temper tantrums when he did not seem to magically know what she thought and felt.

Surprised at her words, he stood motionless, before her trembling form caused him to pull her close. "Shh, Firefly. Whatever distresses you so, we will fix it together." His hands moved up and down her back, trying to soothe her obvious turmoil.

"I'm such a horrible person."

"No," Godric firmly denied. "You are not 'horrible', and I refuse to allow you to speak of yourself in such a way." He shook his head in disbelief. "Why would you even think that?"

Too humiliated to tell him just how smug she had been the last few days, convinced that she alone was smart enough to see through Godric's reputation to the true man within, she pressed her head back against his shoulder. It stung — deeply — to realize she was no better than anyone else. Granted, she didn't fear Godric, but how much kinder was it to always expect him to be perfect?

Godric frowned down at the girl he held in his arms. "Let me help you. What ails you?" he coaxed, concerned by the pain he sensed within her.

Her words were muffled by his shoulder, and her own gasping breaths. "I-I can't … I don't … I didn't mean to …" her voice trailed off, unable to actually tell him what was wrong. "I was so —! He even told me —! But I didn't listen! I thought he was jealous!" She suddenly reared back, her eyes searching his. "Godric, _why_ didn't I listen?"

"Alex, I have no clue what you are talking about."

She deflated, vaguely aware of how he had moved to sit next to her, shifting her until she leaned against his side, his arm over her shoulders.

Alex covered her eyes with her hands, her head and chest aching like they did earlier in the evening, the previous happiness forgotten. Why was it so hard to think right now? That strange sense of _something_ she sometimes felt shifted again. Whatever it was, it was huge and life altering to such a degree that nothing would ever be the same again.

_She_ wouldn't be the same again. Her hands gripped at Godric's arm, her fingers digging into the taut muscle of his forearm.

_No. _

She wasn't ready for … for whatever it was. She wanted it, though, yearned for whatever it was with every fiber of her being, even though she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that the time was not yet right.

Whatever that meant.

Alex mentally huffed and shook her head, impatient that once again she 'let her imagination run wild' like Gabriel often said. The slight shifting of her companion next to her on the couch brought her out of her thoughts. For a vampire, his small movement may as well have been a shout for her immediate attention.

She looked up at him, stricken with guilt and self-loathing. "I'm so sorry, Godric. I didn't mean to be so unfair to you." She willed him to believe her. No, she _needed_ him to believe her. She had wronged him, and she didn't deserve one ounce of his friendship. Her emotions felt out of control, and she wished she knew why she felt so off-kilter.

"You don't owe me an apology," Godric said softly, pushing her hair back from her forehead. Delicately, he rubbed his thumb over the blue pigmentation under her eyes, worried at her pallor. Did she not get any sleep the night before? Without Isabel's expert makeup application, he could clearly see the dark blue bruises from exhaustion under her eyes, and he was not happy. Guilt wormed its way through him. He should have known something was wrong, and should never have left her alone last night.

"Yeah," she said stubbornly. "I do. I know what its like to be judged unfairly. How much it sucks for people to not even bother to see the truth." She shook her head when he tried to speak. "Can we just stay like this for a minute? Please?"

Godric rested his chin on her head, finding his own comfort in her presence. With the patience of an Ancient vampire, he murmured, "Take whatever time you need. I am not going anywhere."

She nodded, grateful for his understanding as her thoughts turned inward. It completely and totally sucked that Eric was even a tiny bit right. It rankled that he was right that she didn't really know Godric — not yet at least! — and that she saw him through the rose-tinted glasses of childhood. Before Chicago, the grand sum of their total interaction since she was five-years-old was really only minutes in length, and only when he had been saving her life. It hadn't exactly been conducive to them chatting and getting to know each other. Was it so shocking then that her hero worship had never really gone away? That she had expected perfection from him, without realizing how unfair that really was?

It still didn't make the Viking any less of a jerk, though.

Alex smiled when she felt Godric once again stroke her hair. No, her Godric wasn't perfect, but— she smiled softly and rubbed her cheek against his sturdy shoulder— she had a feeling that he was so very perfectly imperfect for _her_. She remembered the first time she saw him as a little girl, even though she had been sick and hurt. She had opened her eyes, confused and scared about where she was, and he had been standing at the foot of the bed speaking with Dr. Ludwig. He had turned to look at her, and she had thought he had the prettiest eyes she had ever seen. There had been an instant shock that had tingled down to her toes, and she had _known _that he needed her … that even though he didn't show it, he was so very sad and lonely and just as lost as her. She still adored him, but it was deeper, stronger, and made her yearn for things she didn't fully understand.

"Godric," she said softly, twisting awkwardly on the sofa so she could press her face into his throat. She relaxed when he allowed the intimacy, curling further into him. Yearning filled her, and for the first time she truly understood just what he offered her by allowing her so close. She knew him better now, had been shocked at just how private and aloof he acted to everyone outside of his nest and bloodline. To everyone except her. She had found herself watching him more and more over the last few days, the need to be near him increasing each day. She breathed in his scent, the smell of oak and warmth and _home_ soothing her upset, and feeding her determination to grow up faster.

When he began to softly purr, she smiled and let out a happy sigh. Minutes passed in this fashion, the silence only broken by the sound of his low rumble, and her own soft inhales. She realized that he was timing his breathing to match her own, his chest moving in sync with hers. Affection, deep and endless made her heart swell for this man who carried the weight of so many on his shoulders, yet willingly sat there and let her have this time with no questions asked.

She leaned back and smiled at him, the expression tremulous. It was like she saw him for the first time, that her mind understood the truth that her heart had always known.

He was so very, very beautiful ... and one day, she couldn't wait to make him hers.

"Are you well now?" he asked softly, his hand pressed gently between her shoulder blades, his thumb moving soothingly back and forth. He could sense that something had changed, and could see the difference in how she looked at him. For a single, quivering moment he felt trapped in her gaze as if she were the vampire, and he the human.

"Yes," she answered simply. She reluctantly let go of him. "I just realized how hard growing up can be."

"Do you want to talk about it?" The little smile she gave him was enigmatic, and reminded him oddly of the Mona Lisa. It was as if she knew something he did not, and was not inclined to share her secret.

Alex ignored the question and carefully looked him over, disregarding the distractions of his suit and pretty eyes. He was pale, much too pale. Eric's words from the night before rang in her mind. Had Godric still not fed, even though he had lost so much blood defying the sun while he guarded over her sleep? How had no one noticed? How had _she_ not noticed? Had she really allowed herself to be so distracted by a silly ball that she had overlooked how worn and tired Godric looked?

Well, she couldn't change the past, but she could damn well make sure that from now on she wouldn't overlook her hard-working sheriff's health. Yes, her silly vampire really did need someone to pamper him and, lucky for Godric, she was more than willing to do the job.

She reached up to brush her fingers against his cheek. "I'm worried about you, Godric. You're so pale. Paler than normal, I mean. Did you, at least, have one of those nasty bottled drinks after staying up all day yesterday guarding me?"

Godric rose abruptly from the couch and walked to the windows. "I am fine, Alex." His voice left little doubt that the subject was closed, as not even Isabel pestered him when he used that tone.

Alex fiddled with her fingers, unsure how to break the thick tension around them, but she was really worried. Did he really think she would just drop the subject like she was one of his underlings? Ha! Hmm, hadn't there been something in The Code about blood offerings done in the old ways? To seal a friendship, or to give thanks for aid? Her dad had told her she was not allowed to offer her blood until she was eighteen, but this was _Godric_, and he had bled to keep her safe. Surely her dad would understand and agree?

Of course, it had nothing to do with the fact that she really wanted to see his fangs again.

"No, you're not," she argued. "You're too pale." When he continued to look out over the night skyline, his hands clasped behind his back in what she — in her mind —referred to as his 'Sheriff's Pose' she decided it was better to just go for it. George and Bryan made sure she had a healthy diet, she exercised and was young, so she hoped her blood didn't taste bad.

Alex really wished that she had AB- blood because she often heard her brothers moaning about how rare and delicious it was. Josiah did tell her that her B- blood was still pretty rare, so it had to be decently tasty and special, right?

With a grimace at her poor feet, she rose and limped the two yards to stand beside Godric. She ignored the distinct vibe he gave of wanting to be left alone since in her opinion he was alone far too often. Seriously, Isabel and Stan really needed to learn that they should ignore Godric's grumpy behavior, and not let him wallow in his bad moods.

She wondered how badly it would piss him off if she told him he was acting like an angsty Edward from _Twilight. _

With a deep breath for courage, she lifted her trembling wrist and brought it to her mouth for a kiss before she offered it to him. "Sheriff Godric of Area Nine in Texas, I offer my blood to you to nourish you in your time of need, to replace the ancient and sacred blood you have spilled in my defense. Let the blood-magic of our nests mingle, and my life bolster yours."

Godric whipped around when she began the words he had first heard two millennia ago, and were used when a vampire wished to give deep thanks to another. Vampires did not share their blood, especially with each other, lightly. His eyes met Alex's, surprised at how steady her gaze was as she offered him something he would never be able to take.

The sudden flare of want and desire shocked him, and his fangs descended with a _snick. _He hid them, aware that his son was watching from the shadows and that Eric must now be fully aware of just how he hungered for Alex's blood.

No, not _Alex's_. He was not that twisted of a monster. Obviously this was just proof that he needed to feed more often than once every few months.

"Um, Godric?"

"I decline," he said with forced calm around his hidden fangs. His gums ached, but he forced his fangs to retract. He would not let her see what her offer had done to him. Such a lack of self-control was disgusting, and he would not have her fear him.

Alex's jaw dropped, insult over-powering the warmth she had felt before. She loved him, was beginning to really understand exactly what that meant, and had started to hope and believe that he cared for her too. There had to be some reason for this because his actions and words this night were not that of someone who thought her unworthy.

"You're … refusing?" Feeling like an idiot, she hastily pulled back her still-offered wrist, turning away to hide the blush spreading across her cheeks even though she knew he would scent it in the air. The only times she had ever seen her brothers reject a human was when there was something seriously wrong with the donor.

"I have B- blood … do you not like that type?" she asked hesitantly. Maybe he preferred the positive blood group? If so, how could they ever bond? Blood was everything to a vampire!

Godric swallowed a growl and harshly bit his tongue, the welling blood only partially helping to calm his bloodlust before the cut healed. He preferred the Rh negative blood with its higher copper content, and enjoyed either B- or O- the most. He had always deeply loathed the sour flavor of A+/- blood, and so was one of the rare vampires who despised AB+/- humans. He had always imagined the taste to be akin to that of half-rotten sewage, although he had been forced in his early days to make do with whatever blood was available.

He mentally cursed. Why couldn't she be of that much-disliked blood group? "There is nothing wrong with your blood type," he finally managed to say.

"Is it … um … do I smell bad then?" Alex asked, her lips numb from shock. She had never really thought about it, but did she smell that bad that he couldn't even take a moment to consider biting her? Her brothers had never mentioned it, and she would have thought, at least, Gabriel would have said something if she smelled … off putting. She had even made Bennet go with her to buy hair and body care products that wouldn't make her smell awful to her family. So either there was something wrong with her blood, or something so wrong with _her_ that he couldn't even bring himself to drop his fangs for a taste.

Her eyes felt hot, and she bit her lip. He was the first vampire she had ever offered her blood to, the only vampire she had ever even _considered_ asking to bite her … and he didn't want her. Did he like experienced humans who had been bitten before, and knew what to expect? Beautiful donors who knew all sorts of skills that she had only read about in her borrowed books? Was she really that inadequate?

It hurt. A lot.

Godric winced. It was obvious she knew the gravity of his refusal, and how big of an insult his refusal could be viewed as.

"Firefly," he said softly, laying his hands on her shoulders and gently turning her around to face him. He had to will his fangs back up into his gums, the effort surprisingly hard as his instincts raged to bite and drink what she had so sweetly offered. "It has nothing to do with your generous offer, and everything to do with my dislike of live feedings. I have not bit a human in over five years. Plus," he added, relieved to have come up with the perfect excuse, "you know that with The Great Revelation coming that it is illegal for me to bite you before you are a legal adult. Theron would be well within his rights to break our centuries-old alliance if I treated you with such a lack of respect, and I must also act as a role model for my own Area."

He smiled ruefully when her shoulders relaxed, and she smiled up at him. Unbidden, his mind went back to the last time he had endured a live feeding. Ironically, it was when Alex was ten-years-old and had taken ill, and he had defied the sun for several days so he could read to her while she was in the hospital. He had had to feed on twenty donors over a period of several weeks to regain his full strength, and it had been … upsetting.

"So it's not because you think my blood is nasty or … I don't know … I smell odd?" she clarified. She was really disappointed, but at least it wasn't because of anything to do with her.

Godric laughed at the very idea. Odd? No, she definitely did not smell _odd_. She smelled wonderful, like his favorite flower that had grown at the edge of the sea when he had been a human boy. Not even her moon time could diminish her wonderful scent.

"No, lit— Alex," he corrected himself. "I am honored by your offer, but I have not bitten a human in five years, and I have no plans on changing that this evening."

"Why?" Her brothers loved feeding, and she had walked in on many conversations where they dreamily described how soft a specific human's throat or thigh had been, or how delicious their blood. "Does that practically make you almost a vegetarian vampire since you only drink from bagged blood?" she teased, knowing what was coming next from a talk she had had with Isabel.

Godric snorted, having had the unfortunate experience of being forced to listen to the _Twilight_ movies. Super hearing was occasionally a curse, and for some reason Stan had been briefly addicted to the movies and watched them incessantly at the nest. Well, that is until the DVDs had had an 'unfortunate accident'.

"Hardly," he said dryly. Trying to make her feel better, he added, "I prefer the Rh- blood groups, particularly B- and O-. There is nothing wrong with you, Alexandra. I am truly honored, dear one, that you would offer such a gift to me."

Alex blushed, gratified by the implied compliment and really excited that he liked her blood type. He had even called her 'dear one'!

She pushed the issue. "But you will drink bagged blood tonight, right? I'm worried about you, Godric."

Godric felt his self-control start to fray when she laid her hand on his chest, her concern obvious in her dark eyes. Warmth spread through him from where she touched him, burning across his cold skin.

Against his will, his eyes trailed down her neck to his preferred spot to bite when he was not feeding from the femoral artery. He imagined how soft her skin would be, and how wonderful she would smell with his nose pressed to her throat, her scent rising and growing musky with the pleasure of his bite. Her heart beat steadily, the sound slow and strong, and he could see the skin delicately pulse as each gush of blood pushed through her veins. He leaned ever so slightly forward, his need growing ever louder and insistent …

"Maker?"

Godric jerked out of his daze, his gaze meeting his son's, horrified at what he had almost done.

"Yes, my Child?"

The Viking's cold, blue gaze met his. "I need to speak with you. Alone."

Alex rolled her eyes. "Subtle, Eric. Real subtle," she muttered, not caring that he would be able to hear her.

"Run along, small human child, so the adults can talk," he snidely retorted. He enjoyed her attitude, but would rather suck silver than admit it.

"Small fanged, shifter-biter," she snapped back, crossing her arms over her chest as she eye-balled his blank face. She would never tell him that she was starting to enjoy their snarky banter, or that it reminded her of her relationship with Gabriel. Ugh.

He glared down at the girl with the full force of all his years, irritated that she was clearly unimpressed. "Harpy brat."

In response, she made a rude hand gesture she had learned from Bennett that had been popular about five hundred years ago. Translated, it meant something like 'go suck a diseased goat, you bastard son of an emasculated pig' and she smirked when his left eye twitched.

Gotcha. Firefly -1, Viking- 0.

"Enough."

Alex and Eric's heads snapped towards Godric, startled at the Ancient's tone.

Alex felt her entire body turn hot. Somehow she didn't think that this was the best way to convince Godric that she wasn't a child anymore.

"Sorry," she said to Eric, completely not meaning it. By the narrow-eyed look he shot her, she could tell he knew it, too.

Turning away from him, she smiled shyly up at Godric. "Thank you for my dance," she said softly.

Godric bowed, and watched with darkened eyes as she limped her way back through the door to her nest's side of the suite. Without looking at his son, he walked to the fireplace, his hands gripping the mantle. How could he be so weak?

"Master."

Godric refused to look at his progeny until he had regained control over his fangs. It was humiliating that Alex's request had caused him to act like a baby vampire. She did not know, could not understand, what she was offering.

Eric came to his Maker's side and fell to his knees in supplication. He could not lose Godric, not when the solution was so fucking easy. He had come in on the tail end of their conversation, and he had been shocked at Alex's offer.

"Father, you can't be so uncontrolled around a Fated Mate. If you are so in need of blood that you can actually drop fang around her, then not only would you be given the True Death once caught, but her blood would make your ending one of extreme agony. Please, Godric, I know you despise it, but let me order you a donor." Eric hesitated, and grudgingly added, "I know you … care … for her. What if you lose control and hurt her?"

"I would never harm her!" Godric snarled, disgusted at the very idea.

Eric shuddered at the rage his father gave off. "Maker, you dropped fang at her. At a _Fated Mate_! It has to be because you are starving yourself." At Godric's stubborn look, he finally snapped. "We're fucking vampires, Godric! We drink blood, and unless you want to come back to yourself to find her body dead and drained on the floor, then you'll sink your fangs into some blood bag's throat tonight!"

Godric bowed his head and gritted his teeth. He despised his need for blood, hated the glorious feel of his fangs sliding easily through human skin as their life-giving blood pumped hotly into his mouth. A vampire had two options when feeding, and since he refused to cause further unnecessary harm that meant his bite gave pleasure, even as he loathed their response to such artificial feelings. He was disinterested in sexual activity, although he had kept that fact from his nosy son who would be horrified to realize that Godric had not fed that particular urge in almost fifty years.

"Fine, my Child, order a donor from the hotel. Yet be discrete, I would not want Alex to discover this after I refused her." Godric sighed and turned away. At the door to the suite, he kept his back to Eric and said, "I would prefer A+ blood this evening."

Eric stared at the closed door, worry eating at his insides as he realized the reason why Godric had requested his most despised blood type.

Fuck.

* * *

Godric sat on his bed and stared at the wall. Disgust twisted in his stomach and his hands fisted in the coverlet. He did not want to do this, especially not coming on the heels of Alex's sweetly innocent offer. It was insulting to her, yet he had no other choice. Bagged blood was filling and normally acceptable, but it, unfortunately, lacked the satiation of living blood. He had often wondered if some magical property of the blood, perhaps some spark that the human soul gave it, was lost once the blood was removed.

He firmed his resolve since even the chance that he may still be hungry was too much to risk around Alex. He could not, would not, lose control and have her join the legion of those left broken by his hands. If that happened, the new Authority wouldn't have to hunt him down, he would voluntarily meet the sun and the agony of its golden touch.

* * *

Eric quickly made the call to the donor rooms. Unfortunately many of the tastiest blood types had been sampled rather heavily at the ball, but they promised to find an A+ human female to send up to the room in the next 10 minutes. Feeling peckish, he ordered one for himself as well to celebrate a job well done. Not his favorite blood type, but it would do. It was late so he doubted Alex would still be awake, or if she was that she would search out his Maker so close to dawn. Thus he felt safe enough to have his own bedtime snack. He sincerely doubted Godric actually expected him to stand guard over his doorway!

As he opened the door and nodded at the two attractive women, looking them over critically. The blonde A+ was close enough to Godric's preferred body type, small and with decent enough curves, that he doubted his Maker would be able to deny his instincts. He pointed the donor off to his Maker's room and turned to his own brunet nightcap. Yes, all Godric needed was a good fuck and feed, and everything would go back to normal.

* * *

Alex limped back into her room, too content to care about the intruder she had had two nights ago, and collapsed onto her bed. Tonight had turned into the best night of her life, and she snuggled into the mound of pillows as she thought of them dancing. She fiddled with the comb in her hand, and watched as the light played off the dark wood. Curious, she raised it to her nose for a tentative sniff.

Nothing.

Well, nothing but the faint smell of lacquer that he had coated over his blood. She really wished she could sense whatever Supernaturals did that caused them such fear. Silly vampires.

She was too keyed up to sleep, and she puttered around the room, putting away dropped clothes and scattered belongings. She picked up the camera Godric had gotten her and flopped onto her stomach on the bed and started to go through the series of pictures she had taken around the nest. She paused on her favorite one. It was when she had taken the selfie of Godric and her on the couch with the Chicago skyline behind them, each of them with an earbud in one ear. She grinned when she saw the happy expression on her face, and even Godric had a small smile, although he was looking at her and not the camera.

She looked over at her nightstand and squealed when she saw George's handwriting on a Walgreens envelope. She had emailed him the .jpeg files from her camera and asked for him to print the pictures off for her and put them in her room, but she wasn't sure that he would get it done before he was off for Christmas. She glanced at the clock and saw that there was still about forty-five minutes until dawn, and with sudden exuberance, she decided that he needed a copy of this picture right now. Besides, it wasn't as if he would actually be asleep yet.

Humming excitedly to herself, she found the copy she wanted to give him and scrawled a quick message on the back, along with the date and place where it had been taken. With a skip to her step, she left her room.

The nest was silent with everyone tucked into their rooms for the coming dawn. Quietly, she moved into the shared common room and through the door into Godric's nest. The lights were still on in the hallways, which was sort of weird since vampires didn't need them, but she shrugged it off. At least she could see where she was going.

She raised her hand to knock on Godric's door when she froze. The faint sound of female moaning could be heard, and her eyes widened.

"Yeah, baby. Your fangs feel so good!"

Confusion_. _

Understanding_. _

_Pain._

Alex started to shake. No. _No._ He wouldn't do this to her, not Godric! He _wouldn't_ …

A noise caught her attention. She turned and watched with blank eyes as a gorgeous woman dressed in the extremely short, red satin robe of a donor staggered out of Eric's room. Her satisfied smile, and visible fang marks on her throat and wrist made Alex's head whip back towards Godric's door as the pleasure filled moans grew louder and louder.

He had lied to her. Had stood there and lied directly to her face.

Devastation rocked her to the core, and she physically staggered under the weight of it. He had denied her freely offered blood, offered in the old ways that her father had taught her to be sacrosanct. He would rather feed off some stranger that didn't care about him, rather than her. He had said that he didn't bite donors because he hated it. He had _lied_ to her … and the only reason had to be was that he thought her blood was inferior and dirty, and not even worthy of a single sip to keep the peace between their nests.

_The blood is sacred. _

A tear ran down her cheek as the taunts she had heard from other humans filled her mind.

Weird. Unnatural. Freaky.

She shuddered at the realization that for all of his pretty words, she was still not good enough. Was _never_ good enough for anyone. Eric had warned her that Godric was an expert at lying, had tried to protect her by letting her know that his Maker was just being kind to the poor, lonely daughter of an allied nest. If Godric lied now … then what else had he said that was untrue?

She gave a soundless sob, her mind going back through the few treasured memories she had of him. She had held the words he had told her so many years ago, that she was a beautiful soul, like a shield against all the loneliness and hurt she felt at always being excluded. Of not being human enough for humans, but still not Supernatural enough to fit in with even the weakest of Supes. She had thought that the last few days had been as important to him as they were to her … but it had all been an elaborate lie.

Pain.

Agony.

_**Tearing.**_

She gagged, the sudden sensation in her chest making her stomach heave. Something precious was being ripped from the very root of her being, and it was the worst pain she had ever felt in her entire life. Worse than when her appendix had burst, or when she had badly broken her arm hang-gliding.

Was this what it felt like to have a broken heart?

"Hey, kid, what are you doing?" the other donor asked curiously, her eyes still partially glazed with satisfied pleasure.

The photo and comb tumbled from numb fingers to the floor. She had thought … she had hoped …

The sudden, white-hot bolt of agony had her desperately clasp onto the back of a nearby chair, her fingernails digging into the soft leather. Her shoulders hunched forward as her hand rose to press against her sternum, but to her distant surprise, there was no blood to show the gaping wound she felt to her core. Her migraine was back, the agony of it causing her vision to tunnel.

She backed away from the door on trembling legs, her quick, gasping breaths loud in the living room as her world shattered around her.

"Kid … are you okay?" the woman asked, and flinched when the girl raised pained eyes to meet her own. Those eyes blazed out of an alarmingly pale face, the soft keening noises the girl made had the woman's throat go tight in empathy. "Holy shit! You need to sit down, okay? Just breathe, it's gonna be okay."

"Oh, yes! Yes! Bite harder! Oh, yeeeeeees!"

The orgasmic wail drove like a spike into Alex's heart as another surge of pain shot through her chest, ripping her insides to pieces. Overwhelmed, lost, and in unbelievable pain, her mind shut down.

Reacting on instinct, she moved to get far away from what had wounded her. Without ever uttering a single word, she dashed past the donor, flung upon the suite door, and sprinted desperately down the hotel corridor as the female's wails echoed continually in her mind.

* * *

Godric opened the door for his donor, and reluctantly motioned for the woman to sit on the bed. He supposed she was attractive by this culture's standards, but he was uninterested in her personal charms.

When she went to remove her robe, he gently corrected her. "You may leave it on, I will only be taking your blood this eve. What is your name?"

The woman looked startled. "Um, Beth. I mean, my name is Bethany."

"Thank you, Bethany. I will only need a few mouthfuls, and then you can go."

She was obviously disappointed, but was professional enough not to argue. "We offer a full-service feeding experience, satisfaction guaranteed. I am required to tell you that all donors are regularly screened for health, and we have already been glamoured by the donor stable master for absolute confidentiality as well as to keep silent on the existence of vampires. Bruises, broken bones, internal damage, amputation, cosmetic and/or permanent injury, death, and blood loss equaling or exceeding half of my available blood volume will be charged as an extra fee to the room along with any medical bills accrued. If death or permanent injury occurs, a flat fee of $175,000 will be added to your bill. Do you understand and agree to these provisions?" She held out an iPad Mini and Godric glanced over the short statement before he clicked the Accept button.

He sat down next to her, but shook his head when she offered her throat. No. That was too intimate of a spot. Gently, he lifted her wrist and folded back the sleeve of her robe. She was the requested A+, and it was not her fault that he did not actually want to feed on her.

"Take a deep breath," he kindly told her, and on her exhale he carefully bit.

Living blood flooded his mouth, and ran hotly down his throat. Warmth spread from his core, and he smothered a groan at the rarely felt sensation, even as he withheld a gag at the rancid flavor of A+ blood.

His inner monster, the one he kept carefully chained and shoved in the darkest recesses of his mind, began to fight for freedom. For some reason, his vampire side was more enraged than usual as it desperately fought to escape his iron control. If he didn't know better, he would think it was actually furious at him for feeding. He ignored the thought since it went against everything he knew of his baser instincts that only wished to fuck, feed and destroy. With impressive willpower, Godric kept control and turned his attention to his moaning donor.

Carefully, he swallowed several mouthfuls of blood as the woman began to react with increasing fervor. He remembered when he enjoyed this aspect of feeding, when he would have gladly used her willing body until he could ring no more pleasure from her. Yet now he could only feel guilt, his pleasure in drinking live blood muted by the twisting emotion. He kept a steadying hand on her back to ground her, but when she reached for him he quickly pulled away.

"No," he said softly. "I do not like that. Be still." At his stern gaze, Bethany swallowed heavily, her eyes wide.

"S-sorry," she said and shuddered. "I've just … um … it's never felt this good before. Are you sure you don't want …" Her voice trailed off, and she shifted, opening her legs. "If you want to you can, ya know, feed from my thigh," she said eagerly.

Denial, swift and immediate, moved through him, and it took all of his control not to growl his displeasure. "No, thank you, Bethany. All I require of you is your blood. If you need sexual satisfaction from a partner, there are others in the nest who may oblige you." After a short pause, he asked, "May I continue?"

She sulked, but once more offered up her wrist. Godric leaned down to take two more mouthfuls. At the last gentle pull, she found her release, and he politely sealed the two wounds closed with his saliva as he patiently waited for her to regain her composure.

His head snapped up, and he looked to the door. He was suddenly uneasy, as if something called for his attention. Something was wrong. Very, very wrong. The feeling pulled at him and demanded he follow. He cursed the fact that he had been so involved with forcing down Bethany's blood that he had temporarily ignored his surroundings, trusting his son to keep what was happening a secret.

He was in the living room before Bethany even realized he had gone.

As soon as the door opened, he reeled back so abruptly that his impact cracked the plaster wall.

Confusion.

Anguish.

_Alex._

Her distinctive scent was almost overwhelmed by the acrid smell of her pain and betrayal. His keen eyes saw the two items on the floor, and his heart dropped at the sight of the small comb and photograph. He looked around for his son, and to his fury saw a second donor standing in front of Eric's bedroom.

Anger exploded outwards, and he yanked on one of his bonds with the force of 1000 years. His son was on his knees before him seconds later, shocked at the strength of his Call, his shoulders bowed under the heavy weight of it.

"I told you to make sure Alex did not enter my nest this night," Godric said softly. "Yet I find that instead you tended to your own selfish needs. Perhaps it was my mistake to treat you like an equal, my Child, and I should have made it a Command?"

Eric shuddered at the tone, knowing exactly what it meant of his Master's mood. "Master … I—"

"No," Godric cut off. He turned towards the donor. "What happened?"

The woman swallowed, and reluctantly answered, terrified of the power the young looking vampire gave off in waves that rose the hair on her arms. She glanced at a clearly terrified Bethany who quickly edged past the two vampires and came to stand next to her. "I-I came out of the room, and the girl was standing in front of your door. She didn't say anything, but … um …"

"Spit it out!" Eric snapped. The girl's scent pulled at him, and he shuddered as his instincts clamored that he find and help her.

The donor jumped and quickly blurted out, "She looked horrible, all pale and clammy, and the look on her face …" The woman shook her head. "I tried to get her to sit down, but then Beth, uh, screamed, and she … she ran out the door."

Godric growled, fangs fully out and his eyes pitch black. His anger was so great that even Eric shuddered from the waves of it moving out from his Maker in ever expanding rings. This was a version of his father he had not seen in centuries, and one who was perfectly capable of destroying the hotel, and everyone in it. Only the King of Mississippi, Russell Edgington, was stronger but it was debatable if even he could win against Death. What had he done?

"Child," Godric hissed. "If she dies …" His gaze drilled into his son's, the threat clear.

Eric shuddered and, for the first time in centuries, was truly terrified of his Maker.

The next moment, Godric was gone.

* * *

Her legs and arms pumped as Alex ran down the corridor to the stairwell. Her head hurt so badly that her eyes went in and out of focus, but she kept going. She hit the door running, her feet pounding the stairs as she descended several floors. She needed to get away, get as far away as possible!

Her pain felt like a wave that had pulled back from the shore, and she feared what would happen when it crashed upon her. She could feel it coming, feel the agony rocketing back towards her stronger than before. She needed to hide, needed someplace safe and warm where nobody could find her. Grey eyes flashed across her mind's eye, and she tripped, rolling down the last two steps.

She sprung to her feet and ran down two more floors, the pain of her fall only adding to the flood of emotion she could feel barreling towards her. The discomfort in her bare feet was a distant feeling, and she blindly picked a random exit several floors down. Her breath choked in her chest and her heart felt like it was going to explode, but the pain kept coming closer and closer, rolling towards her like a tsunami.

When cold arms abruptly halted her flight, the wave of emotions hit, and she screamed.


	15. Chapter 10F

**A/N: Hello, and to answer a few readers … no, I'm not dead. Just exhausted. It's been a while, but I DO have my reasons. Basically, you can blame writer's block. I knew exactly what needed to happen, but getting there was problematic. So instead of staring at a blank page, I jumped into the next chapter before coming back to the last bit of the Chicago arc.**

**So I have a confession to make. This is a short chapter for me at a little under 9K words. Before you get disappointed, I have a good excuse! Mainly, I didn't want to wait the 2 more days it would take me to finish writing The Fight Scene. So I chopped the chapter in half. The good news is you get something a few days early. The even better news? You get another something in 2 more days, and then I promise you there will be another time jump within the story. Then shit gets real. I've also written a very, very large chunk of that chapter as well so you will probably see a third update very soon.**

**As always, I own nothing of the True Blood universe. Equally as always, thank you to everyone who reads and/or reviews my story. I know my updates are few and far between, and I appreciate everyone who has stuck with me. A very large thank you to those who have helped me break through this writer's block. You guys know who you are, and you rock!**

* * *

**Chapter 10F**

Talbot and Russell walked hand-in-hand away from the ballroom as they spoke quietly about their night.

"An enjoyable party, was it not, darling?" Russell said.

"Yes," Talbot answered absentmindedly.

"You've been distracted all night. What vexes you?"

Talbot sighed and shot a glance over at his lover. "Did you see the little Fated Mate?"

Russell laughed and shook his head at his mate's preoccupation. "How could anyone not notice her in that dress? It is a good thing her nest accepted the Gaul's added protection for her. Even with that, the vultures circled the poor little lamb all night. She looked miserable surrounded by those twits. None of those younglings are even smart enough to survive more than two centuries, and yet they think she could be theirs. I was surprised Theron allowed her attendance, although it was wise to remove her before the blood orgy." He shot his lovely husband a teasing glance. "I saw you watching her throughout the evening. Should I be jealous?"

Talbot ignored his husband's silliness, long used to his ways. "I find it strange that she was found at such a young age. There is something odd about her, my love, but I cannot put my finger on it. Something …" he shook his head, obviously frustrated.

"She is the first Fated Mate since you." Russel stopped and turned, running a hand through his Mate's thick dark hair. "Perhaps what you sense is only that?"

Talbot shrugged then abruptly twisted, fangs out when the door to the stairwell slammed open. It was only the instinctive reaction to the girl's pained scent that had him grabbing her rather than tearing out her throat.

He blinked when the small figure turned vicious, scratching and kicking like a wild animal. "Stop it!" he said and gave her a rough shake. The girl went limp in his arms, but the heartbroken, soft keening was somehow worse. When he managed to get a look at her blank eyes, he felt the shock down to his bones. "Russell!"

"That," the king of Mississippi stated, "cannot be normal. Even for a Fated Mate. Should we call Theron?"

Before they could decide, two figures appeared, their wings casting shadows across the corridor and their swords at the ready. Russell shifted and crouched in front of his Mate and the girl, eyes coldly taking in the two Guardians.

"Husband," Talbot murmured as he carefully cradled the still keening teenager. He stared at the two, wondering why they had made themselves visible. "They are not here for us."

"Shit!" the female snarled as her gaze flickered towards the girl. "What the hell happened?"

The male only spared Talbot a single look, one that took in the Fated Mate marks on his throat, before he turned his attention to the trembling teenager. "Calm," he said, and raised a glowing hand to the teen's chest, ignoring the vampire's warning growls.

The youngling went limp, the last bit of color draining from her cheeks. Even in her deep sleep, tears continued to silently fall from her closed eyes.

For an awkward moment, everyone just stood there in silence.

Russell took everything in and mentally sighed. Walking through 3122 years filled with war, strife, and then later the daily surprises his Talbot brought to him meant that very little could surprise him anymore, and he adjusted easily to the new scenario.

"The sun soon rises, perhaps we should all adjourn to my suite?" Russell offered politely. If nothing else, this would help keep the boredom he had been experiencing the last few nights at bay.

* * *

Several minutes later they were in the Mississippi King's rooms, and Alex was placed carefully on a sofa.

Talbot fluttered around, plumping pillows and draping a soft throw blanket over the girl. "There, there," he said and carefully tucked the blanket snugly around her trembling form.

The male Guardian crouched down with a frown, letting the light in his hand dissipate. "Her immature bond is severely damaged," he said grimly. "Its had almost continual stress on it over the last few days, but when I checked earlier this evening it was doing much better. Now it's torn almost completely in half."

"Well," Amaryanda said, "something had to have happened, and I bet you it was because of him." She shook her head. "What the fuck is he playing at? I told you that he was not worthy of her, and —"

"Silence!" The male's eyes flicked warningly towards the watching vampires. "Sister, it is not our place to question Fate. Whatever happened this eve upset my ward enough that she's retreated to the Plain of Souls. I will have to go after her."

She shook her head. "There is no way the others will not notice her. She is giving off far too much energy to pass undetected this time. I've hidden us from anyone searching the hotel for her, but my magic will not stay past the noon hour."

Russel finally spoke up from his chair, his fingers steepled in front of his lips. "What you say is impossible, is it not? She has not reached her eighteenth year, so how can she even have a … what did you call it? An immature bond? Also, may I inquire as to who you are?"

After a pause, the male Guardian gave a reluctant nod. "I am Samahrin, and this is my sister, Amaryanda."

Talbot waited for a moment until it became apparent that they intended to ignore his husband's other question. "I am Talbot and this is my husband, Russel. How can she be bonding already? It is one of the central truths of what she and I are that we do not bond until maturity."

Samahrin shifted uneasily. "The only reason I tell you any of this is because of you, Talbot of Greece. I have a feeling that you will be needed if she is to survive until adulthood."

Talbot raised an eyebrow, settling himself comfortably on the arm of his husband's chair. "And if I refuse? Is it not your job, Guardian, to make sure she lives to find her mate?"

"I remember your own Guardian bemoaning your inquisitive nature. Even if the fact that you two are the same is not enough, can you deny you are curious about what makes her so different from any previous Fated Mate?"

"Brother," Amaryanda said urgently, "she is fading. If you are going to find her, it has to be now. I will guard her, but do not tarry for long."

"Sister, if I should die …"

Her jaw clenched and she glanced away. "I will take your place until she reaches of age, and not interfere with her … Mating," she said reluctantly. She glared fiercely up at him. "You better not die and leave me alone with this mess, do you hear me? I don't even think the gods know what will hit the fan if she comes of age."

Without answering, her brother closed his eyes and disappeared.

"You don't like the girl, do you?" Russell asked quietly. He carefully wiped away a rivulet of blood from his nose with a silk handkerchief.

"Alex."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Her name is Alex, and it's not her that I have a problem with."

"So," Talbot said slyly, "it must be her mate then, hm?" He looked nonchalantly at his nails. "It must be someone old to have pissed off so many of your kind. Who is it?"

She paused for a moment, the magic that hid their whereabouts shivering as something powerful and very, very angry — and she had a good idea just who it was — passed by the door.

"None of your concern," she snapped. "Frankly, we have no idea how any of this is possible, but I do know that if my brother does not find her and help her repair what has been damaged, Alex will …" She shook her head, unable to say the words. She had grown reluctantly fond of the child over the last few years.

The Mississippi King twined his fingers with Talbot's, his eyes distant as he felt the bond that was the only reason he continued to walk the world sane and happy. For it to suddenly go out, and be left alone … he shuddered and tightened his grip on his husband's fingers. "If what you say about her having at least a partial bond is true … then whoever her mate is will go on a mad rampage —"

Talbot finished his husband's prediction, horror in his eyes. "—before following her into the True Death."

* * *

**_Plain of Souls_**

She ran.

_Away, away, away!_

The trees leaned closer, their gnarled limbs ripping at her hair and clothes.

Alone. She was alone.

She stumbled off the trail, falling to her hands and knees, tears clouding her eyes. It hurt. It hurt so much, the pain echoing with each beat of her heart. Why did she hurt? What was going on? She tried to force herself to remember, but there was nothing beyond heat and burning.

She dug her fingers into the damp earth, tears dripping off her face into the dirt. She wanted her Oak.

_Anguish_.

She heaved, coughing as sour acid filled her mouth as heat and agony burned through her chest. Desperate for it to stop, she crawled through a small space between two young saplings.

Why couldn't she focus? She shook her head and jerked unsteadily to her feet. She needed to get _away away away_!

She dashed through brush and around smaller trees for what felt like hours, hopelessly lost. Everything hurt, the pain all she could think and feel.

Hours passed as the forest stretched into eternity. She almost walked past them. She would have if she hadn't heard a sound that echoed in her bones.

_Humming_.

She frowned and looked around as she tried to determine from where the sound was coming. She closed her eyes, and her feet turned right as she slipped between two squat trees and into a hidden clearing. She kept moving forward with her eyes closed as the sound grew louder.

No, she had been wrong. It wasn't humming … it was a song. She could just barely make out the notes as something flashy and ostentatious.

It wasn't what she heard and felt with her Oak. These notes were discordant and irritating against her skin, against the burning in her chest. But the sound broke through the pain enough for her to think. Enough for her to stop running.

It was the warning hiss of an animal that made her open her eyes, and she stumbled to a halt. She tilted her head backward, ignoring the ruffled peacock hopping around in front of her.

It was the biggest tree she had ever seen. Even taller than her Oak, whose leaves seemed to touch the sky. It was different from any other tree she had seen in the forest because it wasn't alone.

No, another tree, this one a surprisingly deep blue that matched the peacock's feathers, was twined in and around the bigger one until the two were woven together into one entity.

The irritable ruffle of feathers made her look down at the bird. It had stopped hissing and its head cocked sidewise as it looked at her. There was something about these two trees, something that was less frightening than all the others in the forest around her. She didn't exactly feel safe, but it was better than nothing.

She raised a trembling hand, her glance falling on her clenched fist and the dozens upon dozens of silvery-white, filaments that trailed up her arm and across her body. They curled over her shoulder, the strands twisting and turning around themselves as they wrapped around her torso, the ends coming to lay in a knot over the center of her chest.

Something wasn't right.

She reached out with shaking fingers, and ran them over the knot and it began to unravel, pieces turning black. She screamed as fire ripped through her chest and she fell to the ground with a painful thud.

Time passed, and she slowly became aware that something was repeatedly nudging her chin. She shifted, and managed to open her eyes only to gasp and jerk back when she found the peacock's face less than an inch from hers.

Something odd moved against her palms, and she looked down.

"What …?" she whispered, lip trembling. It looked like someone had tried to rip the strands apart. She sat up, crossing her legs and ignoring the curious bird that tilted comically forward to watch her. She took a deep breath and tensed as she carefully pressed two torn pieces together. Her body shook in pain, but the two pieces did not rejoin.

"What happened to me?" she muttered. Something had happened, something serious … but when she tried to remember it slipped away behind a wall of anguish and betrayal.

She lifted her right arm to rub away the dried tear tracks on her face, and to her surprise felt something small and hard within her closed fist. She blinked down at her hand, finally remembering that she had always held something there, something wonderful and so very special … and it was hers. It was important to keep it secret, to keep it safe. She had been told by the old man a long time ago never to tell anyone about it, and to hide it from … from …

She shook her head, but the memory remained out of reach.

It was weird, but when she opened her hand she wasn't surprised to see the small acorn, or that the silvery pieces — no, the roots — that wrapped gently around her were coming from it. She had held it for as long as she could remember, the roots growing and getting stronger each year of her life. It was odd that she could see them now, when before she could only feel that something was wrapping around her, holding her safe and letting her know that she was not alone.

The bird made a mournful noise, reminding her that it was there. "It hurts," she said, somehow knowing that the peacock would understand. "I … something happened to me and I … I don't …" she stopped. "I don't remember, but it was bad. It was so, so bad." Tears slipped down her cheeks. "I don't want to remember!"

The bird twisted its head sidewise, and for a moment, she felt silly. Maybe it was just a stupid bird? Before she could figure out what to do, the peacock reared back and let out a loud, warning hiss.

She rose to her feet, wary of danger. She yelped when a large, blue wing knocked her over onto her butt, the bird hopping in front of her with his plumage spread wide.

"What do we have here?"

The silky baritone voice came out of the darkness, and an unpleasant shiver moved down her back. She rose to her feet, eyes warily scanning the forest until she saw movement. The man was tall with dark brown hair, and she was surprised to see him dressed like a Roman warrior in gleaming bronze armor. His white wings flared out behind him, and she could see his massive muscles bunching and flexing with each step he took with his sandaled feet.

It was not his height or even his wings that had her unable to look away, but his gold eyes that had dread pooling in her belly.

She never, ever trusted those with golden eyes, because seeing them meant that she would once more be alone. Would be forced to forget over and over again, until she found her way back to her Oak. A faint memory stirred, a deep voice echoing out of the shadows as an old man told her to beware the golden-eyed ones. That many of them would try and hurt both her and her tree.

The winged man stopped several feet away, his toes a bare inch from the great shadow the Sequoia tree cast upon the ground. He ignored the hissing and bobbing peacock that stood in front of her, his gaze slowly moving over her from head to toe.

"Strange," he muttered. He stared at her with a furrowed brow, his voice calm. "Child, who are you? How did you come to be here and in such pain? I had not heard that one such as you had been born. You do not look old enough to be searching for your mate."

Her unease increased, and she edged back towards the two trees. "Why do you want to know?"

"Your Guardian must be around here somewhere. Come," he said, offering her his hand, "I will take you to where he or she can more easily find you. You have wandered far from the path."

"No, thank you."

The man's eyes flashed. "You should not be where you are. The Great Sequoia has already been claimed, but it is still dangerous for you to be within its shadow."

She said nothing for a long moment. Her head was spinning, the world moving in and out of focus. "I'm fine and I've been here lots of times." If the bird didn't trust whoever this was, then she wouldn't either. Her acorn obviously agreed, the few still-healthy roots tightening protectively around her arm and chest.

The winged man's gaze sharpened, and his eyes flashed a bright gold as they trailed over the roots twined around her body, and lit upon her closed fist. His nostrils flared and he took several deep breaths, the tension mounting.

She frowned. "Why are you sniffing at me? That's really weird—"

The man tipped his head back and let loose a piercing scream that shattered the quiet night. She slapped her hands over her ears, trying to block the deafening echoes.

"Stop it!" she said, but her voice became lost under his cry that seemed never-ending.

The man flung himself into the air, and she desperately shoved herself backward as his wings beat faster and faster, creating a terrifying ringing noise that was worse than even his echoing scream.

"Impossible!" he snarled. "There is no way that this can be true. The gods would never allow such blasphemy!"

He flung himself forward through the air, but as soon as his wings touched the Sequoia's shadow, the feathers turned black and started to smoke. He shrieked again with fury as he reared back, drawing his sword from its sheath so that it gleamed in the moonlight.

"Abomination! Demon spawn!" he said, spittle flying from his mouth. "You will not leave here alive!"

"Leave me alone, I've done nothing to you!" she said. She wanted her oak. She wanted to curl up where the raised roots had made a hollow just her size. She wanted … she wanted …

She got to her feet, eyes darting around the clearing when she heard faint screams in the distance.

"Yes," the winged man said coldly. "My kin are coming. You will not be able to hide there for long. Come now and we will make it quick and easy." His look turned predatory. "To think I would be lucky enough to come across his mate, and finally have our revenge."

For a moment, clarity pierced through her overwhelming pain and fear. "Go to hell you … you … flying turkey! I'll never let you hurt him!"

The man's rage twisted his otherwise handsome face, and she glared defiantly as his once white wings turned dark grey, smoke still slowly curling up from the tips. For a moment she watched him struggle before he landed and put his sword away, turning what he apparently thought of as a kind smile in her direction.

It was terrifying.

"I … apologize … young one. I was traveling nearby when I felt your pain and came to investigate. You seem injured. Let me assist you," he coaxed. "Where do you live when you are not walking the Plain of Souls? France? Australia? Canada?" He paused for a moment, his gaze once again turning sharp and cold. "The United States … Texas, perhaps?"

"Get away from her!"

She swung around, her eyes widening when she saw a second winged man appear and somehow entered under the Sequoia's canopy without being burned. Oh, gods, there were two of them now! The peacock's feathers ruffled, but the bird allowed the male to move towards them.

The new man's voice was urgent. "Child, are you well?"

His voice was so familiar, as if she had heard it many times before. Did she know him? She shook her head, struggling to remember anything about who she was. Yes … she knew him. This was the one who always took her from her tree. He was the one who forced her to forget and made her go back to the other place, never understanding why she felt so alone.

"Child."

Her gaze jerked up to meet his, surprised at the gentle tone that was so unlike the other man's. His eyes flicked down to the broken knot of roots, and she protectively lifted her hands to hide it from view. Instead of rage, she saw … was that worry? Before she could ask, the first man spoke.

"Samahrin, you are this girl's Guardian?"

Samahrin gestured for his charge to remain silent, and turned. When he saw which of his fellow Guardians had discovered Alex, he bit back a growl. It was official. The girl had the worst luck of anyone he knew.

"Hello, Reyal. Out for a stroll in the moonlight?"

Reyal snarled, his face twisting in disgust. "So you are the Guardian of that thing. Why did you not alert our kin when she was born? Why have you allowed her to grow?"

"She is a Fated Mate, and my charge. You will treat her with respect."

"Respect? She is an abomination! There is no way that the gods would allow for him to have the reward of a Mate." He paused for a moment, his gaze shifting over Samahrin's shoulder to the pale looking young woman partially hidden by the peacock. He could smell her, the scent dark and acidic. "Something is different about her. She does not have the look of an ordinary youngling of her kind. Why is there a plant growing on her?"

Samahrin shifted to block the elder's view. "She cannot help who she is, and it's my sacred duty to guard her until she bonds. As for the roots," he shrugged with careful nonchalance, "maybe she likes to garden. How should I know why her soul represents her in such a way?" He stealthily moved his hand closer to his sword, knowing what was about to happen.

"Sacred duty? He killed our people! Ravaged our lands until we were forced to leave our home. He drained my wife of her blood until naught was left but ash and feathers, and now you dare try and protect what would give him joy?" Reyal drew his sword, his wings flaring out behind him. "He killed your father, and yet you willingly guard her? You should have slit her throat the moment you knew."

"It is not for us to question the gods' will." Samahrin shook his head, deciding he at least needed to try to change Reyal's mind. "He has changed, and is not the monster he was in his youth." His gaze moved beyond Reyal as the faint ringing sound grew louder. Behind his back, hidden from view, he gestured for her to get closer.

Reyal hissed, his lips pulled back from sharp teeth. "A monster such as he is incapable of change, and you are a fool to think otherwise. I do not know what perversion of magic has created that thing you guard, but it is out of your hands now, Samahrin." The ringing sound of a thousand bells grew louder. "Do you hear that? The others are coming, and you will not be able to protect her. Give her to us now, and you will not be hurt."

"No."

Reyal shook his head. "Then you will be labeled as a traitor, and treated as such."

"Better a traitor," Samahrin said coldly, "than someone who turns their back on their sacred duty because they do not like what the gods have planned."

"You little—!" Reyal snarled, then shouted when the peacock suddenly sprung forward, sharp claws raking him viciously across the face before darting back under the Sequoia's shadow.

Samahrin used his distraction to grab her and fling her over his shoulder, racing through the darkness.

"Put me down!" she said and desperately tried to twist out of his hold.

"Quiet! Trust me, I am here to help you."

She hung limp as her savior darted and twisted amongst the trees, moving so fast everything was a blur. "Why do they hate me?"

"It's not you." With a last burst of speed, he broke through the tree line and dropped her to her feet. "They cannot see past their pain, and would do something that I believe they would one day come to deeply regret." He stared firmly into her eyes, noting with dismay that she seemed oddly unfocused and confused.

"I know this place. I've come here to see my —" Pain speared through her again, and she gasped, clutching her chest. Warm hands landed on her shoulders.

"Are you well?"

She was surprised at his concerned tone. "It hurts. Why does it hurt?" Her hands rose again to touch the broken strands, a strange yearning filling her.

"I don't know. Something happened to you, and you retreated here." His eyes searched hers. "Do you not remember?"

"No. It hurts too much to remember." Her eyes went distant as a vague memory resurfaced. "I've been here before. You've always made me leave. Made me forget. Forced me to go back to … to …." She trembled as images and emotions rushed through her mind in a confusing blur of sound and emotion.

"Yes," he nodded grimly, "I have. You are not yet ready to remember this and know the truth, while you are awake. I am your Guardian, and it is my job to make sure you reach your eighteenth year. I will protect you for as long as I can, but you must get to your Oak and heal your bond. They cannot touch you there, and once you awaken it will be harder for them to find you in the human realm filled with steel. Do you understand?"

Anguish twisted her features, her eyes bright with tears. "My Oak doesn't want me."

"Why would you think that?"

"I just know it. The strands are broken. I'm … I don't …" she shook her head.

Samahrin gazed down at the silvery roots that twisted around the girl. He was both surprised and awed at how deep their bond must already be for it to physically manifest so early in her life. Usually, such a thing was not attained until several years after the first mating. When she had wandered this way two months ago, their bond had not been visible to his eyes. "It needs to be fixed."

"How?"

"I don't know, but you cannot leave until it is." He paused, unsure if whether or not to continue. Another otherworldly shriek filled the air, and he looked over his shoulder. "Go! Run, and get to your tree as fast as you can."

"But—"

"If you don't, you will die here, and your living body will follow. And so," he added softly, "will he. Neither of you can survive without the other. Not anymore."

Another screech sliced through the air, and the sound of wings increased.

"Go!" he said.

She shifted, feeling guilty for how she had fought him over the years. "Thank you, Guardian."

He bowed, and she watched as he shot into the air with a piercing cry. Quickly, she turned and ran as fast as she could, racing along the familiar path. The sounds of metal striking metal and the howls of battle filled the air. With a last, desperate burst of speed, she broke into the glade, her beautiful tree standing tall thirty yards in front of her.

Just before she was about to cross under its branches, a deep voice broke through the night. "Stop."

She jerked to a standstill, almost face planting into the ground. Her eyes scanned the darkness, finding the form hidden within the forest. "I know you," she said.

"I had wondered if you would remember." He walked towards her, the shadows falling away to reveal an old, bearded man with kind, green eyes.

She looked at him, relieved to see that he had no wings poking out of his dark brown shirt. "You're the one who brought me here the first time and sent me towards my Oak. You told me to hide my acorn, and never to let it go."

The man's wrinkled features shifted into a gentle smile. "I merely put your feet on the path, little one. The rest you did on your own. I am well pleased with you." He gestured to her hand. "You have hidden it well, all these years. Do you know what it is?"

"Mine," she said with certainty as she cupped her treasure closer to her body. "It's always been mine."

He was suddenly before her, but she felt no fear, not even when a wrinkled hand hovered over the roots twisted across her shoulder. "Yes, but that is not all it is. It is a piece of his soul held within you, just as he holds a small fragment of your own. All of this," he gestured at the surrounding forest and her Oak, "is a place few are ever blessed enough to see. This goes beyond your mortal waking body, and into the realm of the soul. Well," he amended with a chuckle, "those souls who are Supernatural. Human spirits reside elsewhere. Luckily none can be harmed here directly, much to some of the Guardian's dismay."

He smiled at her puzzled look. "Look at your tree behind you, and the moonflower vine and fireflies. Did you truly think that those things were here before? That they exist just because they are pretty? That you were the only one to show what was growing between you? It goes both ways, child."

Her brow furrowed, her head throbbing in such pain that it was hard to think. "I don't understand. That man, the Guardian … he tried to hurt me. I have my acorn, but I've left nothing behind for the Oak."

For a moment, the shadows shifted on his face, and he looked ancient. "If you were not what you are, you would never have been in this place unless you were bitten by a Were or Turned. Since you are human, the rules of noninterference do not apply to you. As for your other question … once upon a time, you left a gift of tears. It was enough for the beginning, although more," he said sorrowfully, "will be needed soon. Much more."

He changed the subject, resting an old and weathered hand upon her head. "Such pain you feel. How did this come to pass?"

"You don't know?" For some reason, she thought that it was impossible for him not to know.

"I cannot truly control your fate, little one, nor can I see everything that passes. I can interfere, but only when necessary."

"Something happened ... I don't know. I feel ..."

"What?"

Her eyes filled with tears. "Betrayed. I see images of someone with beautiful grey eyes and a soft voice. He's important … but I don't know why. I should, but I … I … Then I hear a woman and …" She shook her head. "Then there was pain. So much pain."

He looked over her shoulder towards the distant battle, before he turned his attention back to her. "Your bond is still fragile and growing. The strain of the last few days has stressed it until it has torn almost in half. I had hoped that after earlier tonight that your new understanding would be enough to keep it stable." He looked sadly at the girl, aware of the hard road ahead of her and just why her bond must be tested and forced to grow prematurely strong.

"It hurts," she whispered.

"Your souls are already too linked for it not to. There is always a price paid, even with such a gift and fate as you and your Mate have been given."

"You say we're linked?" she asked hesitantly.

"Yes."

"Then why would the bond tear so easily?"

He shook his head. "It took more stress than I think you know, and the necessary distance between you two these last years has not helped. Change is difficult, and both of you have much to do before you are actually ready for the other. However," he said sternly, "you must heal what has been torn before you can return."

She looked to her Oak, and for the first time noticed how the moonflower vines had woven around and between its lower limbs as it grew upwards. The vines were much taller than even two months ago. She might not know who she was when 'awake', but she could remember all the times she had been here previously.

"I ... I don't know what to do. Why do those other Guardians want to hurt me? I just ... I want ... I ..." She pressed her hands over her eyes. "Why can't I remember what happened to me?"

"They are fools and, unfortunately, many of them will not understand why you were born and why you _must_ survive."

She looked up at him hopefully. "Can't you tell them to leave me alone?"

He looked back into the distance, avoiding her gaze. "No, child. I was ancient when even your Mate was human. I am old enough that many of the gods have deemed me a myth, and it must stay that way. For certain events to unfold, I must be able to move freely without being watched."

He looked at her with eyes that pierced her to the core. "You must stay strong for a few more years."

Before she could question him further, pain rammed through her, and she fell to her knees. "It hurts!" she cried. "Please, make it stop."

A surprisingly warm hand touched her forehead, and it felt like a cool wave flowed through her. She looked up at him, eyes wide. "What was that?"

"A respite."

"So it won't last?"

She looked away when he shook his head, absentmindedly stroking the roots that twisted around her arm. "Can I even fix this" she finally asked, "since I don't know what caused it?"

He smiled. "It will be hard, but your bond will grow stronger and deeper as a result. I am sorry for your pain, but what has happened is necessary if you both will be ready in time for what is to come."

"What?"

Before he could answer, another shriek filled the air, this time even closer than before.

She automatically stepped back and part of her relaxed as she fell under her Oak's shadow. The ever present ache in her chest eased a little, but it was still there.

She looked over at the old man. "What do I do?"

"You have to heal your bond, and you must do it fast. You cannot be here if the other Guardians defeat yours."

The screams grew closer and closer, and she could hear the sound of swords clashing. She looked frantically around but didn't know where even to start. She turned back to the old man to ask.

He was gone.

She walked over to where she always lay against her tree, the cradle the roots made just her size. She wasn't sure what made her look up, but when she did she saw a large gash twenty feet up and just beyond where the tallest moonflower grew.

The screams grew closer.

Gulping, she jumped and managed to get an arm around one of the low hanging branches. With a desperate heave, she swung herself up, and almost face planted against the trunk when she lost her balance. The leaves were thick here, and she pushed several of them away from her face. Her fingers brushed across something smooth. What was that? She knew she needed to hurry and that she didn't have time, but some instinct was telling her that this was important.

With careful movements, she moved aside the leaves camouflaging the trunk from sight.

No.

Her heart broke at what she saw. Dozens upon dozens of scars were spaced across the trunk of her tree, warping the bark and the growth of the lower branches.

"What happened to you?" she whispered. If she hadn't been climbing where she was, she never would have found them. Would never have known the pain and hurt that happened so long ago.

It took her beyond her own distress as she put his pain before her own. "Whatever it was, I won't let it happen again. I promise." She pressed a kiss to the biggest scar, her hand gently running over it before she continued climbing.

"Child!"

She almost fell off the next branch at the shout. She looked down and saw a half dozen of those winged monsters standing at the very edge of the clearing, their toes just an inch from her Oak's Shadow. Several of them were bleeding heavily. Where was her Guardian? Was he okay?

"Come down. It doesn't have to be this way."

"You want to kill me," she said coldly as she climbed another few feet. "You want to use me to hurt my tree."

"He is a monster."

"Look in a mirror, Guardian." She ignored their shouts and angry ruffling of feathers. As she climbed the marks became fewer until she reached an area just past where the moonflower vine grew a little less than halfway up the trunk. For some reason it looked like the flower was hesitant to move further up into the center of the tree, instead laying uneasily on the lower branches. Was it … afraid?

She stared into the foot long, oozing split that went to the very heart of the wood. She reached out shaking fingers, feeling sick to her stomach at the echo of pain that she knew mimicked her own. She had just sworn to herself she would never hurt him, and she had the sinking feeling that she had already broken her word.

"Did I do this to you?" The roots around her body tightened as if giving her a reassuring hug. Were the fragments of memories wrong? Was there more to them? Was it both of them, that caused this? If only she could remember!

She heard a thump and looked over only to frown when she saw Reyal had joined the others, his sword dripping blood. Unlike them, he did not try and sweet talk her.

"I am going to slit your throat, girl. I will cut out your heart and give it to him so that he knows exactly what it is he lost. And when this tree dies I'm going to rip it from the ground and piss on it before I burn it to ashes."

Rage moved through her, and she gripped her acorn harder. Everything came into focus, and she suddenly realized that whatever had occurred didn't matter. Not really. Not when compared to everything she stood to lose. There had to be more to the story because she refused to believe that her tree … no, her Mate … could willingly harm her. The old man had said that their bond was already strong, so he had to feel at least a little of what she felt.

It all came down to trust.

Her voice was low and deadly. "If you so much as trample one leaf, I will rip you apart. No one hurts him." She turned back to the wounded tree. "Not even me."

She knew what to do, the answer suddenly clear. Whatever reason the vine refused to fully embrace the tree was a stupid one. With careful fingers she reached down and grabbed a moonflower bud and the vine it was attached to, redirecting it to lay within the open wound. She felt the shift within herself as something relaxed.

"What are you doing?" Reyal demanded as he tried to view her through the dense leaves.

She carefully rubbed her fingers in some of the sap, and stroked them over the broken knot of roots at her chest, gluing them together.

_Relief_.

The bone-deep pain eased, and she sighed. It wasn't fully better, but it was a start. She finally turned to look at the winged monsters below.

"You say that he is a monster," she called to them seeing their hate for her in their eyes. "Yet it is you who want to kill me, and I've done nothing to you."

Reyal smiled coldly. "You live, and while you do you are his weakness."

She glanced back at the flower bud she had placed at the heart of the tree, smiling when she saw that it had begun to bloom. Whatever had been wrong was being fixed, the tree healing before her eyes.

"What did you do to my Guardian?"

Reyal laughed cruelly. "I wouldn't look for him anytime soon."

She looked over her shoulder at them with a frown, but then smiled. Her grin turned into a smirk as she plopped carelessly down on one thick branch, swinging her legs back and forth.

"Why are you looking at us like that?" one of the female Guardians asked.

"Because she could see us behind you."

They whirled just in time to see two forms move and woven nets lined with strands of steel were flung over them. They fell to the ground, screaming as their skin blistered and burned.

"You can come down now," Samahrin said tiredly.

She scampered down the tree, racing over to her Guardian but stopping just at the edge of her Oak's shadow. He looked like he had been in a war, listing to one side. She glanced warily over at the female.

"Don't worry. That's Amaryanda, my sister. She will not harm you."

"You both are traitors!" Reyal hissed through barred teeth. "Amaryanda, you knew? He killed your family as well as ours. How could you let your brother do this? I know you hate him as much as I!"

Amaryanda shook her head. "I stand with Samahrin on this. I despised it too when I first learned of her. But it is the gods' will that she exists, and it is not our place to question them. He has changed, Reyal. He is not what he used to be." At their disbelieving looks, she snapped, "Look at your wings, you fools. They're grey now, and you are close to falling completely out of favor. We do not kill Fated Mates!"

She shook her head in disgust, tired of their screams and threats. She and her brother shared a look, and both moved as one, knocking their brethren unconscious. "We can't kill them, Samahrin. The consequences to us would mean that she would be left defenseless."

Her brother nodded. "Are the two we left behind guarding her body?"

"No, they went into their death sleep right before you called for me. The spell keeping others from her should last a little longer, so I felt safe leaving her. They almost killed you, little brother."

The girl ignored the siblings, looking back at the fireflies flickering around the dark clearing. "You're going to make me forget again, aren't you?"

Samahrin hesitated. "This place … you are not ready to remember. Ones such as yourself only come here once during their first mating to plant the seeds of their bond. I have never known for a Fated Mate to walk The Plain of Souls as often as you, or for a bond to have started before The Pull." He fondly smiled as he staunched his bleeding head wound. "You are exhausting."

"He is correct. As I said earlier, your waking self cannot yet know, although I believe you do sense some of this while awake."

The voice came from behind them and they whirled. The old man stepped into the clearing and the two Guardians immediately bowed. They didn't know who he was, but they knew the aura of a god when they saw one.

He smiled kindly at them. "Rise, Guardians."

She was quiet for a moment, thinking deeply. "It will keep him safe? My not knowing?"

The old man smiled. "As safe as you can be."

"Then I'm okay. Do what you have to do." She turned towards her Guardians. "Thank you again. I'll try not to give you too much trouble. At least for awhile"

Before the two Guardians could reply, the old man waved his hand, and her eyes slid shut.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

Alex struggled to open her eyes. She felt … weird. Sort of floaty and like she was looking at everything from far away. Oh, and sore. Definitely sore. It felt like someone had used her as a punching bag, and her feet hurt like hell.

In a daze she rose from the couch, the blanket falling away from her unseen. Her chest throbbed, but it was nothing like the pain from last night. No, this was different, like she was being … called. Like something was demanding that she answer it, now. She tried to reach, to figure out what it was that she was feeling, but it felt like something was blocking her.

She limped towards the door, her fingers fumbling over the locks. She paused in the hallway, owlishly blinking when it felt like she walked through a weird bubble. It had tingled where it touched her skin, then felt like it popped. The pull she felt was louder, and she now knew that it was telling her she needed to go _up_.

With hurried footsteps, she moved towards the nearby elevator. She was passing the stairwell when she saw a blur of movement, and the world went dark.

* * *

Godric opened his eyes, ignoring the pull of the sun that moved like acid through his veins. It was nothing compared to the strange pain he felt when the memories of the previous night hit him. How had the wonderful evening they shared turn into such a nightmare so fast? When he had returned the night before after losing her trail, his son had still been on his knees where he had left him, the donors long gone.

He had taken one look at Eric and turned his back on Child as he said coldly, "I Command you to go to your rest. I will speak with you tomorrow night."

"Father —"

"You have disappointed me greatly, Eric. Do not add to it now."

His son had left immediately after that, sensing that Godric was not in the mood to be pushed. He kept his bonds firmly closed, not willing to share his turmoil and self-disgust with his progeny. Or his pain at what Alex must have felt. He had known it was a bad idea to call for a donor, but he had been so worried that he could hurt her … so terrified at the very thought of it that he had gone against his instinct.

He looked over at his nightstand where he had placed the comb and picture Alex had dropped before she had bolted. He was so angry … and not just at himself or his son. Why had she run like that? Had she learned nothing?

He felt the urge and need to move, and he decided not to wait for Eric to rise. He dressed quickly, and pocketed his gift to her and the picture she had taken of them. He may not know how her scent had seemingly disappeared in the middle of a random hallway, but he was more than willing to rip this hotel and all of its inhabitants apart piece by piece until he found her.

It had been centuries since he could truly be called Death, but he would gladly take up that mantle again and wade through a river of blood with no regrets if it got his Firefly back safe and sound.

* * *

He reached the same hallway where he had lost her scent the night before. No humans were allowed on these levels during the day, and it made it even easier to separate out her scent. She didn't smell like she was in pain, and that little bit of knowledge gave him hope. With growing relief, he followed it from one of the rooms as it moved towards the elevator.

He took another deep breath. She smelled … different, somehow. He had not thought it possible, but her lovely scent had grown even more so.

When he passed the closed exit door he froze as a smell he had not encountered in over eight hundred years wafted from the stairwell.

No. It was impossible. Not him!

Horror and fear filled him at the thought of that monster having his hands on Alex. The trail was only minutes old, and Godric blurred down the stairs as he followed it. Their scents pulled at him, and with each step he grew more and more enraged.

His feral growl echoed harshly within the corridor and his eyes were pitch black. He hit the ballroom doors at full speed, slamming through them with such force that they were torn off their hinges and flew through the air to disintegrate against the far wall forty feet away.

He slid to an abrupt halt, his sudden stop crumbling the marble beneath his feet. Rage filled him, such anger and sick rage that he wanted to rip and tear the vampire who held Alex in front of him, his clawed fingernails around her delicate throat.

He could hear the fast pace of her heartbeat, and smell her fear. His teeth _snicked_ down and he snarled when he saw the shaken look in Alex's brown eyes. She tried to smile bravely at him, and he wanted to rip out the bastard's heart at her trembling expression.

The older blonde vampire smiled, and it was easy to see the insanity in his too-wide blue eyes. "Why, if it is not the slave boy, Godric of Gaul. Hello, little brother."

"Appius Livius Ocella."


	16. Chapter 10G

**A/N: As promised, the last chapter of the Chicago arc. Fair warning, this chapter has some blood and gore. I also took a bit of artistic liberty with the the Navy Pier's Ferris Wheel. It's there, but not exactly how I described it. **

**The next chapter should also be up within a week or two, but it will not be as long as this one. I am really excited about where we are getting in this story, and I hope all of you feel the same. Thank you for your kind reviews, and to everyone who takes the time to read this story.**

**Also, don't be too hard on Eric. He's going to end up being Team Alex, but right now he's terrified his Maker will be killed if someone tries to say he is being innappropriate with a Fated Mate. Spoiler Alert: He and Alex will actually end up with a rather amusing sibling-like relationship, and she's going to enjoy pestering and annoying him. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of True Blood.**

* * *

**Chapter 10G**

"Wait, this psycho is your brother?" Alex blurted incredulously, then gurgled when the nails around her throat tightened.

She clawed at the hand around her neck, nails digging desperately into flesh as black dots moved across her vision. As the darkness started to close in, she felt something only half-awake stir deep within, rising in a slow spiral. It didn't like this vampire touching her, and it was _angry_.

Godric _roared_, and something whistled through the air.

The hand around her throat abruptly loosened, and she coughed and choked as she took in desperate lungfuls of air.

"Quiet, filthy human!" Appius hissed tightly as he regained his grip on her throat. "Do that again, little brother, and I will kill the blood cow before you can stop me. Do not forget who is the elder here."

Alex blinked and somehow managed to twist her head enough to see … wait. Was that a chunk of flooring sticking out like some sort of knife from Appius' right shoulder?

The insane vampire chuckled at her wide-eyed look, his blue eyes glittering madly as his body expelled the makeshift weapon and immediately healed. "My brother was always good at making weapons out of the most unlikely items ... as our Maker found out to his True Death. Hmm ... I cannot punish him yet, but there is no stopping me from hurting you."

She bit back a cry when the hand on her neck jerked her painfully upwards onto her tip toes, squeezing just enough that it made breathing difficult.

She heard Godric's growl and imagined she could feel his anger and power pushing down oppressively on them.

"Careful, little brother. I know that trick from our Maker. Mortals can only take so much before their heads pop off. It's been such a long time, I may just forget my own strength."

Godric crouched on the balls of his feet with his face twisted into a snarl, dark gaze wild and completely focused on Appius. For a second those animalistic eyes met hers, and it felt like time stopped.

Old eyes. Ancient eyes. Predatory eyes.

_This_ was the vampire that others fearfully whispered about, the reason so many kept their distance from him, terrified of the enormous power she could feel in the air. He held so much strength in a body that looked only a few years older than hers.

He was the most beautiful man she had ever seen ... and she would be damned if she let the psycho use her to hurt him.

Godric growled, and the hair rose on Alex's arm at the feral sound.

"You have no quarrel with the girl, Appius," Godric said, his accent thickened by anger.

"It has everything to do with the blood bag. She's just like her. All women are. Two-timing, deceiving, filthy whores!"

Alex cringed when the man went from calm to screaming. He was completely off his rocker. It got even creepier when he pressed himself against her back, one hand staying around her throat while the other ...

Bile rose when he ran his hand through her hair, pulling it free from her braid. "Get your dirty hands off me," she hissed.

She struggled harder when he began to croon in a sing-song voice, swaying them back and forth as he pressed against her. She froze when she realized exactly how excited the violence had made him.

Her eyes met Godric's and as hard as she tried to hide her reaction to what she felt, she knew when her vampire's eyes went completely black that she had failed.

Godric was a blur, but Appius moved so fast Alex had to clamp her mouth shut to keep from puking as the world spun. Blood splattered against the side of her face, and she felt Appius stagger as one of his arms went briefly limp.

She twisted like an eel, bringing her knee up and desperately kicked backward. She felt the crunch of his knee under her bare foot but knew that was nothing to a vampire.

One of his arms was only inches away from her face. With no hesitation, she shoved forward, sinking her teeth as hard as she could in his cloth-covered flesh.

Appius howled, pressing harshly on her jaw and forcing her mouth open. Her back muscles pulled painfully as he forced her to contort painfully.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the gaping wound on his shoulder. Good, Godric had definitely bitten a nice chunk out of it and it would take time for it to heal. If she had the chance, she was going to hit him there as hard as she could.

"Tut tut," Appius said. "Don't be naughty, little brother. You have to learn to share your toys. I would have thought you would know that, considering how our Maker so enjoyed sharing you. You made such a lovely catamite once you were trained. Unfortunately, this one still reeks of purity."

He ran a hand through her hair again, fingers twisting painfully in the strands as he had another one of his mercurial mood swings, now humming and swaying them around the room.

Godric refused to meet Alex's gaze, not wanting to see the look in her eyes as she heard about his past. "You would know all about our Maker and his predilections. I gave him the True Death, just as I will you. Are you such a coward that you refuse to stand against me without a shield?" he mocked.

Appius ignored him, intent upon rubbing Alex's hair against his nose. "Just like her. So pretty. So delicate. You smell of summer roses. Always of roses. You are _mine_, are you not, Cyra? My beautiful Child. Tell me, my loveliest lovely, that you are only mine."

Alex frowned at the name. Who was Cyra, and why did he think she was her? Appius stopped nuzzling her hair, his anger once more exploding.

"Tell me, Cyra!" the insane vampire shrieked. "I Command you to tell me you are mine. No other shall have you!" He spun her around to face him, jerking her about by a hand clenched in the shoulder of her shirt.

Alex's feet skidded out from under her, unable to keep her balance. She saw his arm raise high above her, and knew that she was probably dead.

"No!" Panicked, Godric used every ounce of power he had and forced it into a shield over Alex. He had been the only one who had inherited their Maker's gift, but his brother was too fast and strong to fully influence. Instead of crushing her skull, the shield deflected it into a glancing blow.

Alex went immediately limp.

If his heartbeat, it would have stopped. He thought he had not been fast enough, and he stood on the precipice of an almost unimaginable grief. It was only when he heard her heart's slow song that he realized that she yet lived.

Resolve filled him. He would not let her die, even if it meant his own True Death. He looked at the twisted monster his brother had become and knew that only one of them would walk away.

Appius paused to stare down at the dazed blood bag in his arms. He shook his head. Did she not just a moment ago have the same tumble of black hair as his Cyra and smell of her delicate rose scent?

"No, you are not Cyra. My Cyra is dead. You are that pet blood bag of Theron's. Your father killed her, you know. Killed my sweet, sweet Cyra." He gained certainty as he spoke, brushing off his brief confusion.

"I bet," he said to Godric with a bright smile as if the past few minutes had not happened, "that you are surprised to see me here. Did you really think I would not escape?"

Godric watched with cold detachment, suppressing every ounce of emotion. "Indeed. You have only served eight centuries of your thousand year punishment."

"Eight hundred and twelve," Appius spat. "Years and years that I had nothing to do but plot and plan and wait until the moment I could get my revenge. Theron killed my beautiful daughter because she would not abandon me. Imagine my joy to find that the fool had adopted a human pet. Too bad," he pouted, "that the werewolves were not enough to kill her as a child. Or perhaps I should have offered her to be bitten. Do you think Theron would have still kept her if she had been changed into a filthy Were?"

"Theron did not kill your Child, and he would never turn from his daughter. That is loyalty that you are unable to understand."

"He did! I know he did! There was blood everywhere, and my Cyra was gone. Her blood covered me, and there Theron stood with his sword drawn and screaming foul lies. The Authority may have shoved me in a silver-lined hole in the ground to keep me silent, but I will have my revenge."

Appius looked down at a half-aware Alex and roughly shook her. "How does it feel to know that your precious father killed my innocent Child, and now you will pay the price?" He frowned when the stupid human said nothing.

He tilted his head sidewise and sniffed her shoulder with a frown. "Your smell … how do I know it?"

Godric went still. His brother was old enough to defy the protective urge of a Fated Mate's scent, but if he recognized exactly what she was then—

"Impossible!" Appius crowed with a gleeful laugh. "I must truly be blessed by the gods to have Theron's pet be one of them. The same breed of filthy human that tried to seduce my loyal Cyra away from me!"

His eyes went out of focus. "How could I have forgotten that Spanish peasant? He came for her ... he ... came ... mated … she ..."

Godric watched the broken vampire get lost in fragments of memories. Something in Appius had shattered beyond repair, and he coldly used the weakness against him. He needed his brother to drop Alex and come for him, and Appius' temper had always been volatile. "Do you not remember Ettor? Have you forgotten that he was Cyra's Fated Mate? That she loved him, and hated you?"

Appius pulled Alex's limp body against his as he stared at his brother hatefully. "I know what you are doing, Godric. I was there when our Maker taught you how to fight." He barred his cracked, yellowed fangs mockingly. "No wonder you put up with her, and her disgusting innocence. Clever, little brother. Very clever to try and hedge your chance at sliding between her thighs, and having her powerful blood as your own. Still, I doubt one as filthy as you could ever be worth a Mate. Especially after what you did and the lives you took."

His smile turned cruelly vicious at his brother's blank expression. "My Cyra was an angel, so of course the Gods would have thought her worthy, even though she loved me. She wanted only me! Not that Spanish vagabond. You are deluded if you think the gods would ever give a Fated Mate to a disgusting bed slave."

Appius grabbed the girl at the base of the neck with one hand and playfully twisted her head to the side. "I will kill you, Godric, and there is nothing you can do to stop me!"

* * *

Alex hung limply in Appius' arms, her mind fuzzy. Her head hurt, and it made it hard to concentrate on what was being said. Something about some Spanish guy?

The spiraling feeling was rising faster, gaining strength with every beat of her heart. She was frozen in place, helpless to stop whatever was growing within her. Her skin prickled and itched, but something was blocking whatever it was from coming out … it was bound, unable to get free. It was too soon for this, too early. It hurt ... It wasn't supposed to hurt ...

Images flashed in her mind, there and gone again in an instant. A leaf. A purple flower. Fireflies. The moonlight shining off a scarred tree. A soft and gentle song. Surprised and worried golden eyes. A hand reaching out, palm open.

_"I am going to kill you, Godric, and there is nothing you can do to stop me!"_

No!

Pressure on her skin.

Power coiling and writhing, screaming to be free.

Shattering bindings.

A burst of silver light.

Screams of agony.

The smell of burnt flesh.

She came to as she skidded across the floor and slammed into a wall. "Ow!" She gritted her teeth at the pain and rolled onto her stomach. The muscles in her arms trembled, but she forced herself up on her hands and knees.

"Down!"

She obeyed instantly, falling flat on the floor with her hands over her head. The wall over her shattered and she gasped as bits of plaster and wood tumble on and around her. The horrible sound of growls, shrieks and words screamed in a language she didn't know made her cover her ears.

She raised her head cautiously and looked around the ruined ballroom. She saw a blur of movement, the sounds of bodies colliding, and a larger blur flying backward into a mirrored wall. It shattered on impact, and she watched with horror as Appius grabbed a handful of deadly shards and threw them at Godric.

"No! Godric!"

He flashed in and out of her sight, but she knew that some of them had to have found their mark. Even having watched her brothers spar for years, she could barely follow the two Ancient vampire's movements around the room, only knowing where they were when something broke. Everything was so fast and bloody, and nothing like what her training or the stories her family told.

Screw this. She wasn't going to lie on the ground like a dead fish while Godric fought for their lives. She looked around, and a vicious smile curled her lips. A foot away from her was a piece of wood from the destroyed bar, the wood as long as a machete with a sharp jagged edge. Alex crawled to it, but the moment her fingers wrapped around the solid wood, she felt a hand grip her ankle.

She screamed, scrabbling desperately at the floor as she was yanked back, the stake falling from her hands.

It happened so fast. One minute she was sliding backward, the next there was a shriek as the hand on her ankle ripped away, leaving painful welts across her skin. Blood sprayed in an arc on the floor, an eyeball hitting the floor next to her with a wet plop. It glistened oddly in the light, flesh still clinging to part of it.

She stared.

She was cold. So very cold. Everything slowed, sound muffled like she was deep underwater. She noticed that her hand shook when she reached out a single finger to turn the eyeball around. She needed to know if the pupil was grey, or blue.

Please ... please let it be blue.

_**BOOM!**_

Light and sound rushed brutally back into focus when the floor next to her caved in, the force rolling her several feet in the opposite direction The marble tile buckled before exploding upwards, and she curled into a protective ball. They were throwing each other into the floor and walls until every surface was marked with body-shaped craters.

When a piece of flying tile passed right in front of her nose, she knew she had to get away. She rose to a crouch, and frantically looked around. A weapon. She needed a weapon!

Some instinct made her turn, and she cried out when what felt like a jackhammer hit her in the chest, throwing her back through the air. She hit the floor hard, and for several long minutes just laid there trying to remember how to breathe.

She finally managed to roll herself to her knees. Where she had been there was now a five-foot-long piece of wood still quivering from being stabbed brutally into the floor.

It would have killed her if she hadn't been pushed out of the way.

Her hand brushed against something smooth, and she looked down, surprised to see the wooden stake she had dropped. She curled her fingers around the base of it, glad to have some sort of weapon even though she knew how outmatched she was.

She looked back up at the spear and noticed that it was stained red. Her eyes followed one drop as it plopped onto the floor, and she was pissed.

She was on her feet before she knew it. "Appius, it's me, Cyra!"

Everything stopped, but what she saw made her fury grow.

Appius turned his face towards her, his one good hand wrapped around another very long, narrow piece of wood from what looked like a wall support. He bore down on it with all his strength, forcing it closer and closer towards the floor. Godric, her Godric, was on his back underneath, holding the other end only a few inches from his neck.

To her relief the insane vampire looked terrible, his other arm bending in the wrong place with the almost fully severed hand hanging by a small strip of flesh. She was confused by the lines of burn marks covering his hands and face but figured it had to be a vampire thing.

She refused to flinch when she saw his face and the bloody hole where his right eye had been. Good. She hoped it hurt worse than liquid silver when Godric gouged it out. She would make sure to find it later and step on it.

She took a chance and shot a quick look at her vampire, worry breaking through her protective anger. There, just a few inches above his heart was a gaping wound that still oozed blood.

Her eyes turned to the pole nearby, the one that would have killed her. He had taken the hit … because of her.

He could have met the True Death … because of her.

Steely determination filled her, and the last bit of childhood fell away. Actions had consequences, but she would not let Godric pay for hers. No, she would gladly offer up her life and all its meager years, so that he could live.

This, she distantly realized, was what it meant to truly love. And dear gods, she loved him so very much her chest ached with it.

"Cyra?"

She refocused on what she had to do, pulling on the training her family had given her over the last ten years and hiding her fearful shaking.

She slowly rose to her feet, mind moving a thousand miles an hour as she came up with a plan on the spot. "Yes, Maker. It's your Cyra." She couldn't risk looking at Godric again, even though she could feel his gaze practically burning a hole into the side of her face.

"My daughter. My love. You have come back to me," Appius whispered with a broken smile. "It has been so long since you were taken from me. Since you … since you …"

Alex swallowed hard, closing her eyes for a minute to gather her courage. How could she do this? She had never been a good actress, and Gabriel always gave her grief over her crappy poker face.

Godric. She needed to believe he was Godric. What would she say to him if the two brother's positions were reversed?

She opened her eyes and smiled lovingly at Appius. "Yes, my heart. I will always come back for you. Always. The years apart have been lonely. So very, very lonely."

She took a shaky step forward, keeping the wooden stake hidden behind her leg. "Maker, why are you fighting your brother? I've missed you so much." Closer. She needed to be closer. "Please, can't we spend some time together?"

Appius laughed, his eyes shining. "That sounds wonderful."

She moved closer, but the angle was off. She would only have one chance at this, and now that she was literally inches away from the two vampires she could see their body's trembling with strain as they fought over the makeshift spear.

Both were injured, but Godric's shoulder wound was bleeding so badly that his white tunic was stained black. She took another step closer and slid her foot so that it touched Godric's knee. She flexed her toes and was relieved when he pressed back. Just knowing he was there, that he still lived, gave her enough strength to do what needed to be done.

"Maker," she whispered and bit back her disgust when she reached out to stroke his injured shoulder. "Will you hold me? I've dreamed of your arms around me."

Somehow, Appius managed to turn towards her just enough that she could see the left side of his chest. Her fingers tightened on her hidden weapon. She would only have one chance, and she had to shove the stake hard enough to get past the breastbone. Was she strong enough? She would have to be.

"Cyra ... My ..."

He reached up with his stump of a wrist to touch her face, and she forced herself to not stare at his flopping hand.

He kept cooing at her, but she ignored his words, keeping her hand resting lightly on his shoulder. Damn it, he still hadn't turned towards her enough, and there was no way she could realistically stab his heart. The pool of blood beneath the vampires grew larger, and she knew both of them were weakening quickly.

Her mind spun. How could she save them if she couldn't …

Realization dawned. No, she was going about this all wrong. She didn't need to kill Appius, just distract him enough for Godric to turn the tables.

"Cyra?"

Alex softly nudged her foot against Godric's leg. It was the only thing she could do, and she hoped he knew what it meant. That it somehow told him everything she felt, and how sorry she was that she had gotten them into this mess.

That she was sorry that he might have to see her die.

Appius' voice went colder. "Cyra?"

She turned her face up towards his and barred her teeth in a semblance of a smile. "Appius," she whispered while leaning closer.

"Yes, my love?"

"Cyra's dead, you crazy bastard." She didn't wait for him to react but drove her fingers into the half-healed bite wound on his shoulder, and swung the stake up in an arc from behind her leg.

Her hand had barely made it halfway to his chest when pain exploded in her shoulder, and she dropped like a rock to the ground. Her vision went white, and she swallowed the urge to vomit.

A howl of absolute rage reverberated through the room, and she could feel Godric's power crashing around them in gigantic waves of unimaginable fury. It would have terrified her if part of it wasn't wrapped around her like a blanket, making her feel safe and warm.

Somehow she got to her feet just as Godric first twisted off his brother's left and then right arm with a gruesome squelch. Mercilessly he ripped his brother's fangs out and shattered both of the vampire's knees so that he laid helpless on the floor.

She had never seen Godric look more like a vampire, blood dripping from his chin and lips pulled back from his fangs. Instead of freaking her out, she felt completely secure.

Her place was at his side, and she limped towards the two vampires.

* * *

Godric glared hatefully at his brother. The Authority should never have listened to those winged menaces, and instead given Appius the True Death. Both sides wanted revenge for what his brother had done, and so had shoved the vampire into a deep, silver lined hole guarded by magic. None had thought of what a world of steel, silver, and iron would do to the strength of those spells over the hundreds of decades.

He turned his head slightly as Alex limped towards them, shifting to keep his body between her and his brother. A cold cruelty that he had not felt for years twisted deep within, a need to cause Appius as much pain as possible for what he did to Alex. For daring to touch what Godric protected and considered dear.

Without further thought, he shoved his fingers into his brother's chest, surrounding his worthless heart in a loose grip.

He looked mockingly into his eyes. "I will kill you, Appius, and there is nothing you can do to stop me. Know this, if there is a life beyond this one Cyra will not be waiting for you with open arms. Theron did not kill your Child, you fool. You did when you murdered her Mate, Ettor. Not even your Commands could keep them apart, or stop her from willingly joining him in whatever comes next. You are the reason her blood covered the ground. Theron was there trying to save Ettor … from you."

"Noooo!" Appius sobbed as a wall fell in his broken mind and he remembered what he had forced himself to forget. Blood tears fell down his cheeks as all the fight left him.

"Yes," Godric said with an icy smile. "You killed one protected by the Guardians, and have been cursed by the very Gods."

He leaned forward, tightening his fingers around the organ clutched in his fist. "You dared," he whispered too low for Alex to hear, "to try and take another Fated Mate from this world. To snuff out the soul of one who is worth more than you could ever have hoped to become. You tried to kill Alex. If there is such a thing as Hell, I hope you burn there for eternity."

Appius looked up at Godric, a small bit of sanity re-entering his blue eyes. "Perhaps I will burn," he spat hatefully. "But you will never be worthy of being the girl's Fa—."

Godric's fingers clenched and with a twist of his wrist he gave his brother the True Death. He watched dispassionately as his body burst like a blood-and-goo-filled bubble. It had been such an instinctual reaction that he was almost startled.

"Are you okay?" Alex asked quietly.

With a gentleness at odds with his fangs and constant throaty growl, Godric turned towards her, waiting for her to run screaming from his appearance.

"Alex, are you well?" He could feel his bones slowly snapping back together, the internal damage using up all of the blood he had gained during the night's feeding.

She ignored him, immediately moving forward and pressing her palms against the wound in his shoulder. "You're still bleeding. Why are you still bleeding?" She didn't wait for him to reply. "You fed last night, so why aren't you healing?"

She ran her eyes over his body. "That means you have to be hurt even worse on the inside."

He shook his head and cupped her chin with his palms, ignoring the fire in his shoulder. "You could have been killed! Alex, are you listening to me?"

She ignored him, still trying to figure out how much damage Appius had done. She poked at his ribs with gentle fingers. "Does that hurt? What about here? Should I call Dr. Ludwig? I can wake up Eric if you need blood from your progeny."

He grabbed her hands, holding them in his own. They trembled, and he wanted to destroy Appius all over again, a thousand times over again, for causing her fear. He remembered when his brother had pressed against her, and the look on her face would haunt him.

He rubbed his thumbs over her wrists until her shaking stopped. "Why didn't you run when I was fighting him, Firefly? What were you thinking, trying to stake him like that?"

"And leave you here to go against him alone?" She looked at him, covered in blood and hurting, and her heart melted when he tried to wipe her blood splattered hands with a semi-clean edge of his shirt.

She touched his forearm, her gaze earnest. "I would never leave you like that … and I knew I couldn't kill him. I just needed to distract him long enough for you to get free."

Godric's grip tightened on her hands. "You could have been hurt. Never put yourself at risk for me again, do you understand me?"

"No."

Their gaze held for a long moment, and he read the promise in her eyes. It touched him, and he sighed and rested his forehead against hers.

"How can you not fear me?" he murmured. "Most of my own kind do, and you have seen what I am capable of."

"You saved me. You've always saved me," she said simply. "Why would I be scared of you? Appius was wrong, you know. You're not a monster."

Without hesitation she offered her wrist. "Here."

Deeply touched, he brought her hand up to his mouth and brushed his lips across her racing pulse. "You are so small, and the amount I would require would drain you dry. I will be fine until we get to the nest and I can heat some donor bags."

He rubbed his bloody hands on his equally dirty pants and reached up to gently wipe a smudge of dirt from her cheek. "Come. We are both filthy, and I need to get you back to the suite."

"No."

Godric paused, somewhat surprised by her mulish expression. "Excuse me?"

"You're bleeding because of me. Please, it hurts me when you hurt. I need to help you."

"I will be fine, Firefly. Do not—"

She turned away, feeling helpless and a bunch of other emotions she couldn't understand.

He carefully pulled her back, trying to not put pressure on her bruises. "Alex."

"It doesn't matter, not when compared to everything else," she said and kept her face turned away. "We need to go before the others wake up. I can heat up some bags for you, or call a donor."

"We have time, and I have a feeling that this may be the only chance I have of getting the truth from you."

"I said it doesn't matt—"

Godric spun her around by her shoulders. "Stop saying that. It does matter. It mattered enough that you ran out of the nest even though you knew you were being hunted. Alex, you could have died." After a pause, he said, "Would you rather me think you ran off in a childish snit?"

"I'm not a child."

"Then act like an adult, and tell me what is wrong. Remember our promise to talk to each other instead of basing everything on assumptions."

It seemed like such a long time ago that she had overheard him feeding, even though it was only the night before. She bit her lip, trying to keep it all inside but the words just tumbled out. "You said you didn't feed on humans anymore … a-and then I heard you! I saw the other donor outside of Eric's room, and I heard you."

He was, for the first time in years, unsure of what to say. Did it bother her that much that vampires feed on humans? "Firefly, calm yourself."

"Don't," she said with blazing eyes, "tell me to calm down like I'm some … some lackey or pet not worth even a little bit of courtesy!"

His temper exploded along with his power, and his teeth snicked down. "Do not ever say such a thing again. You, Alexandra Makhaira, are no pet."

He took an unnecessary breath, struggling to regain his legendary calm. He retracted his fangs, not wanting her to see him looking monstrous. "I am a vampire, and occasionally I must feed off the living. I would think you would be used to such things while living with your nest. The donor was not harmed."

She wished he would let her really look at his fangs, from what she had seen she thought he looked gorgeous with them. "I've seen vampires doing their thing, I'm not blind. My brothers prefer not to feed in front of me, but emergencies happen." She quickly looked him over, wondering if maybe Appius had hit him on the head when she wasn't looking.

"You seem remarkably content with that, considering your previous response."

"Wait a second … you think I was angry and hurt because you had dinner?" She stared at him as if he were crazy.

How was it that this human girl not even a fraction of his age could confuse him so? "Yes."

"Godric … you do realize I don't think like a human, right? It's probably why I'm not a sobbing mess right now from all the blood and body parts. My being angry at you feeding would be like you getting pissy with me about eating a hamburger. It's, you know, dinner."

She leaned back against the wall and let herself slide to the floor in an exhausted slump. "When I said it didn't matter anymore, I was telling the truth. I realized this morning how stupid I had been, and was coming back to the suite to talk to you."

She paused for a moment, embarrassed at what she was going to admit. Gods above, she felt like such an idiot sometimes. Why was growing up so hard? "I was hurt because I thought you had denied my blood because I wasn't good enough. That you preferred to pay for it from some stranger. I know what such a refusal means in The Code, and I thought … well, I assumed you thought my blood was dirty." It had also hurt her feelings that he would do more than feed on what had to be a sexy donor. She would prefer to gargle glass rather than tell him that.

Godric's eyes narrowed as she tested his patience more than even his Viking child had in his earliest years. "Never," he said coldly as he crouched in front of her, "say that again. I gave you a comb soaked in my _blood_, Alex. How can you have doubted my regard? I explained to you why I had to refuse." He waited for a response and was not overly happy with her listless shrug. She looked so small and tired sitting on the floor, surrounded by blood and gore.

"Yeah, I know that now."

Godric sighed and looked over at the gloopy mess that was once one of the most feared vampires in the world. He understood Theron's reasoning for keeping what she was a secret until she was of age, but that made his refusal difficult to explain. "You are treasured … deeply treasured … by both of our nests. What do you think their response would be if they thought I had used you in such a callous way? A vampire's bite can only bring one of two reactions, Firefly. Either pain, which I no longer wish to cause or pleasure. What you heard was her reaction to me, not _my_ reaction to _her_."

She shifted to sit sidewise, needing to look into his eyes to see if he was lying. "They know you're my … friend. It's an honorable arrangement. You've saved my life enough to deserve it. And, um," she blushed, "I know that feeding doesn't always end with … that. So what's the big deal?"

"Think about what you heard. You are the underage daughter of one of my oldest allies." He raised his hand and rubbed a thumb over her cheek, the need to touch her unable to be denied. "Alexandra," he said gently, his eyes deep and soft. "I would never knowingly cause you pain. _Never_."

She trembled, his power practically purring as it wrapped around her. "Then why didn't you just tell me that instead of … you know, saying you just didn't like to feed anymore?"

He couldn't stand the distance between them, and for the first time in centuries, he gave into impulse and did exactly what he wished. He bit back a smile at her startled noise when he pulled her to sit on his lap. He didn't even realize how tense he was until she curled up and cuddled close.

He gently guided her face into his neck as he whispered a secret into her ear that not even his son knew. "I did not lie when I told you that I have grown to dislike that part of my nature. Your very generous and honorable offer took me by surprise. When we spoke I had had every intention of only drinking bagged blood. Eric could sense my hunger and convinced me after you left that it would be safer for you if I drank from a donor." He leaned back and looked into sad brown eyes. "I will not hurt you even if it means I must feed from a human."

He ran a hand over her loose hair, playfully twisting a piece around his fingers and bringing it to his nose to sniff. He had hated Appius touching her, and he wanted to growl at his brother's scent that lingered on her beautiful hair. He ran his hand through the strands, replacing Appius' scent with his own.

She melted against him at the rhythmic tugs. She mumbled happily and pressed further into his neck.

He gave her a light shake. "Do not sleep yet, Alexandra. Do you now believe that you are valued?"

Alex smiled brightly at him. "Yes."

"Do you?" he asked sternly. "I do not know how many more ways I can show you that I both value and trust you. In 2000 years I have only willingly given my blood to my two Children, but after being gifted a _highly visible mark of my regard for you_, you dared to still think so ill of the both of us? Did our talk before and after the Ball prove nothing?"

The blush spread hotly across her cheeks and she fiddled with a button on his linen shirt.

"I trust you," she whispered. "I just … I don't … it's hard for me to not doubt myself sometimes."

"Why?"

Her fingers lightly traced his shirt's torn edges, grazing across the skin underneath. She looked up at him through her lashes, and the fondly exasperated look on his face made her decide to ask him something she had never dared ask her dad. "Do you know why my nest decided to adopt me? I've never met another human like me amongst the different Courts, and I know how vampires tend to view humans."

He hesitated, his pause too swift for her to sense. He would not lie to her. "Because they saw something special in you, something worthwhile and wonderful that should be nurtured and protected. They love you, Alex. Never doubt that."

She raised a hand and pressed it to the center of his chest, her palm tingling. "I'm sorry. I won't second guess you again." His hand came up to cover hers, and she felt something shift and settle into place.

Several seconds passed quietly between them, both taking comfort that the other lived.

"You really don't like it, do you?" she asked.

"Like what?"

"Feeding. You know, off of a live donor."

"No."

"But why? My brothers say it's practically the best feeling in the world. They're always talking about smooth necks and stuff."

He said nothing, and her heart clenched. Sad eyes. Ancient eyes. Not even her dad had that look of age and exhaustion. She had often been able to see how he felt and hadn't understood when others said he was so hard to read. Now, though … now it felt like she could see … more.

There were wounds within him, deep wounds that still hurt him. She didn't know how she knew, but she could sense them, just as she knew it was not something he would tell her about.

Yet.

She shifted on his lap and raised a hand to lay over his heart. "Being a vampire doesn't make you a bad person, no matter what a douchebag your Maker and brother were."

His lips curled at the corners at her name for them. "You are kind to think so, but—"

"No."

His lips quirked at her stubborn expression. No one but her ever really disagreed with him. "No?"

"No. Nyet. Nee. I can say it in more languages if you want," she said cheekily.

He laughed softly and shook his head. "You are amazingly stubborn."

"I need to be to keep up with a very hard-headed vampire. Hmm, I wonder who I could be referring to?" she asked.

"Eric, obviously."

She snorted and clapped her hand over her mouth at the embarrassing noise. "Er, right. Eric," she said with an eye roll. She looked around at the destroyed room and pools of blood with growing alarm. "I know The Ancient Pythoness said that there could be no killing. Do … do you think they would believe us if I said that I killed Appius by myself?"

His looked around at the destroyed room. "Besides the fact they will be able to smell that I was here? No, they wouldn't. Why would you even suggest such a thing?"

"I don't want you to get in trouble."

She didn't understand the surprised look on his face. "I don't want you to be punished because I was so stupid that I ran out of the room like some little kid and you had to chase after me." She could feel her blush spreading across her face.

Absentmindedly, she curled her fingers with his, the touch of his cool skin soothing the last bits of pain in her head and chest. As long as she had him, she would gladly deal with all the blood and gore that the world threw at her.

"Alex, you are worth more than you realize. You have a beautiful soul and a loving heart. Please do not let the actions of ignorant people cause you to doubt yourself or your family."

She yawned, unable to fight off sleep any further. His lap was so very comfortable, and his arms felt perfect around her. "We need to go soon. I don't like it that you're hurting, and you need blood. Is dad angry at me?" she asked blearily.

Godric rose to his feet, his gaze never leaving the precious girl in his arms. His shoulder still bled, but he did not care. She was alive and safe. It mattered more to him than any momentary pain. "He is as yet unaware of your leaving the nest this morning, and has not yet risen this eve. He will have to be told, though."

"Yeah, I know. He's gonna be so pissed off. Probably gonna ground me for a year." Her eyes started to slide shut. "Hey, Godric?"

"Yes?"

"Where did those weird burns on Appius come from? Is it another one of your vampire gifts?"

Godric looked into half-lidded brown eyes. His eyes traced over her features, remembering the brief second when he could have sworn he saw her skin covered in what looked like white vines that gathered into a knot in the center of her chest. One minute Appius had been holding her, and the next there was a flash of silvery light, screams, and the smell of burnt flesh. Those burns had not healed throughout their entire fight.

It was a puzzle, but perhaps it had to do with her being a Fated Mate. He hoped so, as it was another defense she had against those who would hurt her. The hand against his cheek startled him.

"Godric?"

"I apologize, I was lost in thought. It was not one of my gifts, but it did come in handy to distract him."

"Oh. Okay." She yawned, her eyes barely open. Even with skin stained with dried blood, he was gorgeous. No wonder Eric was so insecure. "Godric?"

He laughed softly, the sound rubbing over her skin like cashmere.

"Yes?"

"You have a beautiful soul, too. You're my best friend." Clumsily, she stretched and pressed a fleeting kiss to his cheek. "Thank you for saving me," she whispered before tucking her head back against his neck.

Godric paused, a strange prickling behind his eyes before he wiped all emotion from his face when he looked up to Russell Edgington and his Fated Mate, Talbot.

"Russell. Talbot. Out for a stroll?"

* * *

Talbot smiled and stepped forward, watching with interest as the Gaul stiffened and his arms tightened protectively around the girl. Interesting. _Very_ interesting. When he and Russell had awakened before sunset, they had immediately sensed that the girl was gone and left to find her.

"Godric, a pleasure to see you again," Russell said calmly. "I see you found our wayward lamb. Is she well?" At the Gaul's suspicious look, he smiled. "I would not harm her, you know that. We found her fleeing down the stairs and brought her to our suite to rest. She was deeply upset."

Godric nodded quietly. "Thank you, Russell. I am glad it is you who found her, and not any of the others who are here at the conference. Both of our nests owe you a debt."

Talbot shook his head. "No favor is owed. I suppose you could think of her as my little sister, considering what she and I are. Why was she fleeing?"

When the older vampire refused to answer, he clucked his tongue. "Ah. Well, I suppose it is none of our business. You are hurt, would you like to come to our suite and drink from one of our personal donors? We have several AB-."

"No, thank you. The sooner she is back in our nest, the better. I will tell Theron when he rises what occurred, and alert those who need to know about this mess. I imagine there will be repercussions for breaking the edict, and I wish Alex to be away from here when those happen."

After Godric vamp sped away, the two vampires strolled hand-in-hand back to their suite, passing one of the professional clean-up teams of Weres that were on the payroll of The Grand Pythoness.

When they got back to their rooms, Russell watched as his mate flung himself down onto the chaise lounge with a roguish sprawl. "Strange that none of them see what is in front of them."

The voice came from behind them. "Not really."

The two vampires leaped to their feet with twin snarls as they faced what had been an empty corner of the room.

"Who are you?" Russell asked the old man.

"Darling," Talbot said with a curious frown on his face. "I know him. We met once, centuries ago right before I felt The Pull to find you."

The old man smiled, his green eyes gleaming. "Yes, on The Plain of Souls. I had to see if you were worthy if you were strong enough for what was to come."

Talbot raised an eyebrow, miffed that anyone would doubt his obvious worth. "And?"

The old man's eyes twinkled. "She will need you before everything is said and done. I can't see all that is coming, but that is one thing I do know. Will you help her?"

Russell frowned. "You know who her mate is, do you not?"

"I would hope so considering I am the one who manipulated her birth, hid her from the other gods and Guardians, and made sure she would meet her Mate as a child."

"Why?" Russell asked.

Talbot moved to stand next to his husband, their hand's intertwining. "If Fate had taken its due course, she would have met him in a handful of years anyway."

The old man shook his head. "No, she would not have as Godric would have ended himself by the time she reached maturity. Their bond must be tested and already strong by the time they Mate. Too much relies upon the Gaul continuing to live, and she will be the one who tethers him to life. Even now their bond is more than I had hoped."

"So why," Talbot asked, "not tell him that she is his mate? Why all the subterfuge? I would think him knowing what awaits would definitely keep him from the True Death."

"She deserves the right to grow as she will, and to experience life. What sort of Mate could she be if she came of age under his protection, never spreading her wings and learning the lessons that will allow her to stand by his side? Not to mention," the old man said with a sigh, "that the fewer people who know about her the better. It keeps her off the radar of the other gods, and until tonight, only two of the Guardians even knew of her existence. Her life will be in much more danger now."

"What did you mean," Russell asked quietly, "when you told us that it was not really surprising that the others did not see their rather obvious bond?"

Talbot nodded. "I could sense it after less than five minutes. Godric is famous for not allowing anyone to touch him, and there he was cuddling her in his lap, and she wasn't even flinching from how positively barbaric he looked. I could practically hear the hum of their connection from twenty feet away."

"Magic."

"Bullshit," Russell said with a sarcastic laugh. "We are vampire and immune to all magic but necromancy."

"True, but you are old enough to remember the wild magics before the world changed. I cannot hide her fully, and I can only interfere occasionally in her life when it is under the direst of circumstances. The old magics may not completely work on vampires, but I can influence those near her to overlook certain thoughts and suspicions. It helps that they have not been in close physical contact since she was barely more than a toddler. Especially as their bond has grown. Unfortunately," he added with a sigh, "the Viking is being difficult in this regard and has begun to see through the spell, although he is still more worried about his Maker's response after the girl supposedly Mates with another."

"Whats to keep us from not telling them?" Talbot asked. "Why are you even explaining this to us?"

"As I said, I know that at some point soon she will need you. I don't know why or when, but it will happen. As for keeping this information to yourself … would you believe me if I said that the fate of your race, and that of humans, relies upon this secrecy?"

"No."

"Well, it does. If you tell them now what she is when neither of them is ready, it will end in disaster. She must come to her Mating without knowing the truth. The Guardians know of her now, and without the safety of their mating bond, she will not make it to eighteen."

Talbot was quiet for a moment, remembering what it was like when he came to after the overwhelming urgency of The Pull. Perhaps the girl would have it easier than he did while adjusting to vampire life and what it meant to be a Fated Mate. "If she should need me, I will help her as long as it does not jeopardize either Russell or myself."

The old man nodded. "Her Guardians will have her hands full now while they keep her hidden from the sight of the others. It is a good thing that the human world is full of steel as it will help disrupt their search. It is as off-putting to them as iron is to the fae or silver is to vampires."

Talbot pursed his lips thoughtfully. "I might have an idea that can help with that."

The old man nodded. "I must go and join her Guardians in hiding her trail for as long as possible."

Before either vampire could say anything, he disappeared.

"Russell, darling," Talbot asked distractedly, "do you know of any jewelry stores in the area?"

* * *

Godric entered the nest and carefully placed Alex on the sofa. It took him several tries to get the teenager to let go, as for some reason she suddenly seemed to have more arms than an octopus and was twice as clingy. He ignored his son as he vamp-sped to the kitchen and wet several towels before rejoining Alex.

Carefully he began to wipe her face and arms, furious at the bruises his vampire sight could already see forming on her pale skin as well as the number of small cuts and abrasions.

"Eric, get me the first aid kit from the bathroom," he ordered his silent Child.

"Is she okay?" Eric asked as he handed over the human medicine box. "You are injured as well. Do you want me to order you a don—"

Godric glared over his shoulder. "No. I think that has caused enough trouble."

Eric went silent, almost fidgeting as he watched his Maker carefully clean and bandage Alex's small wounds. "Then drink from me. Please, father—" the words almost burned in his mouth, "—she would not want you to still be wounded when she wakes."

Godric nodded, and after a few minutes feeding from Eric's wrist, his shoulder wound and the last of his internal injuries now fully healed.

He left and was immediately back again, a pile of clothes in his hands. "Alex," he whispered while carefully stroking her cheek. "You need to wake up."

She only grumbled, swatting at his hand. "Not nigh' yet. G'way Gabby."

Godric laughed softly at her nickname for her irritable older brother. "You are correct that it is still day, but you need to wake up for a few minutes."

She struggled to open her eyes and stared up at Godric. What a pretty sight to wake up to. Still mostly asleep, she raised her hand and ran her fingers over his healed shoulder. "My fault. I'm sorry."

"Nonsense, it was Appius' fault, and you were very brave. I am proud of you, Firefly. Now," he said briskly, "you need to change out of your filthy clothes. Can you manage on your own?"

She was abruptly awake, a hot blush staining her cheeks. "Er … yeah. I'm awake. Wide awake."

He bit back a smile at her flustered answer. "You will borrow some of my things. I'm not letting you out of my sight until your father rises for the evening."

She took the soft pile of grey linen and hugged it to her chest. The shirt smelled like him, and she remembered him wearing it two nights ago. She hoped he didn't think he was going to get it back because it was hers now.

She waited until the two vampires turned their backs to her and then started to wiggle out of her bloody clothes. His pants didn't fit very well, but she rolled the legs up and cinched the waist as tight as possible. Every muscle in her body relaxed when his scent surrounded her.

Safe. She was _safe_.

Godric kept his back towards Alex until he heard the rustling stop. When he turned, he grinned at how she looked swimming in his clothes. He would never admit that he gave her a shirt he had already worn because he knew his scent calmed her, and he hoped that sense of safety followed her into her dreams.

He feared what she would see with her eyes closed.

"You are missing something," he said quietly before reaching into his pocket and offering her his gift and the photo that she had left behind when she fled the suite. He held his breath, although he was almost positive she would not refuse.

Her eyes lit up and she reached for it, twisting her hair and slipping it into the thick bun. She frowned when she saw the picture she had been bringing him. It was torn and stained with blood. "We really do have the worst luck with pictures of us," she grumbled with a sigh.

"We will take care of it later. Rest, Alex," he said softly. "Your father will rise in two hours, and then we will talk." He carefully cupped her chin at her worried look. "I promise all will be well. Sleep."

Once she was deeply asleep, Godric finally turned towards his son. His cool expression had Eric shifting uneasily.

That look never boded well for anyone.

"Master," he hurriedly said. "I wish to take the blame on why she ran from the suite." At Godric's curious expression he added, "It sounds like she will have enough to deal with without adding in whatever punishment Theron would give her for putting herself in danger. He will willingly believe that I would purposefully provoke her into doing something foolish. Let me make amends for my mistake."

Godric slowly nodded, considering his son's idea. He was also reluctant to explain to Theron exactly what had led up to his daughter leaving their rooms. "Very well. I will also speak with Isabel and inform her of what occurred. Alex may desire to speak to a woman about what happened, and not her male family members."

Eric stiffened, anger stirring. "Did he—?"

"No, but Isabel has a way about her that Alex reacts well to. This was her first battle, and even though she is vampire-raised, I imagine the amount of blood and violence will leave its mark on her."

Godric settled onto the couch, placing a pillow on his lap and shifting Alex's head to rest on it. He smiled softly when she turned towards him, wrapping her arms around his waist. He became lost in her scent, each unnecessary breath reminding him that she was hale and whole. That he had not failed her.

He went into downtime, his fingers moving gently through her hair.

* * *

Eric moved back towards his room, his thoughts dark and turbulent. He had not told Godric the full truth on why he was willing to take the blame for Alex's actions. If Theron knew that his daughter had offered her blood to his Maker and then ran when she discovered he was feeding from a donor, the Greek vampire may start to become suspicious.

It was illegal upon pain of the True Death to interfere in any way with a Fated Mate. He still refused to believe his Ancient Maker could have feelings for the teenager … but their obvious closeness would invite speculation that could prove damaging.

No, he would take whatever fallout came from Alex's brothers as long as no one looked too closely at the odd friendship the two had developed. He would not allow his father to fall prey to those who would twist his innocent concern over the girl into something nefarious that would bring Godric to trial before The Ancient Pythoness.

He glanced back towards his Maker. Thank the gods that tomorrow was their last day in Chicago, and the girl would soon be on the other side of the planet. He would definitely need to schedule more time in Dallas and try to interest Godric in taking a pet or two. He doubted his success since his pleas for his Maker to do just that for the last few centuries had fallen on deaf ears. Perhaps Isabel would help him find other ways to keep her Sheriff distracted.

He shut the door to his room and made his way to his bed. At least he didn't have to worry about the girl. Alex was a teenager, and soon her attention would shift towards other interests. It was only three more years until she Mated, barely even a drop of time in vampire years. Surely he could guard his father against such danger for such a small period of time? Maybe he should suggest to Theron that it was time for Alex to be told that her future was not her own, and her destiny already determined? If nothing else, it would give the girl something else to concentrate on. Young girls liked to daydream about such sappy things, at least according to the Lifetime movies his Pam made him watch.

Yes, he would speak to Theron as soon as dark fell.

* * *

A letter appeared as if by magic in the common area of the two suites, the well-known wax seal declaring just who had sent such a missive.

The oddly dressed demon was already on her way back to her uncle, grateful that one debt to the Ancient Pythoness had been so easily repaid.

The next morning Godric and Theron's eyes met grimly over the letter. Appius' escape from his prison never occurred, and his attempts to kill Alexandra Makhaira would be kept quiet. Her Grace also commanded their obedience and ordered that Theron's daughter would be kept in ignorance of her Fated Mate status. Refusal would mean the True Death to the entirety of both their bloodlines.

Theron's closed his eyes in resignation. He had decided to tell Alex what she was, to help ease the pain and alienation Eric said she felt so acutely. Now his hands were tied, and all because he had selfishly waited to tell her because he wanted his daughter to stay his little girl for as long as possible.

Her Grace had made her wishes abundantly clear, and no one went against she who had been The Oracle of Delphi.

They had no choice but to obey.

* * *

"Where are we going?" Alex asked, fiddling with the ring that Talbot had given her just an hour before when the two males came to say goodbye before leaving for Mississippi. It was really pretty, the band engraved with scrollwork and inset with small red stones. Although it looked like silver, he had assured her it was made of steel, and thus would not harm her family. The colorful vampire was nice, even if he was remarkably silly. She still wanted to laugh at how he had made her promise to never take it off as it would 'just break his heart into pieces and pieces'.

Godric glanced at her, an odd little smile twisting his lips when he saw her huddled in his leather jacket that she had absconded with years ago. "You'll see."

She stayed silent as they left the elevator and went to the front of the hotel where a car was waiting for them.

It had already been a crappy night. Her father and brothers had been less than impressed with her running out of the nest, although she really did owe Godric for throwing his son under the bus by saying it had been Eric's fault. Gabriel had almost come to blows with the Viking over how he had supposedly refused to give her the new code to re-enter her nest's side of the suite.

Godric told Theron that Eric had gone to him when he realized she had not returned from her trip to the front desk to retrieve a spare key. Godric had been unable to find her before the sun rose and he was forced to sleep, but that she had luckily run across Talbot and Russell. The vampire King had refused to let her out of their sight and had thus taken her to their room for the day.

She wasn't exactly sure why Godric chose not to let Theron know why she really left the nest, but she was grateful her brothers wouldn't have new ammunition to tease her with. She had no desire for them to tease her about her 'crush'. Not to mention getting Eric in trouble was always something to strive towards.

When Godric went and opened the car door for her, she blushed. Was this … was this another date? Like when they went to the Italian restaurant?

She tried to slide as gracefully as possible into the passenger seat, sighing in relief that the heat had made the inside toasty warm. It was so cold out, but at least it wasn't snowing again. She was really happy that Godric lived much further south, and she wouldn't have to deal with insanely snowy winters when she moved there in three years.

She was silent as he guided them smoothly through the crowded streets.

"You are quiet tonight," he said finally, glancing over at her with a frown.

She shrugged. "We leave in a few hours. Dad said we're going to travel for a while through Europe, then go to Barcelona." She still refused to look at him, keeping her gaze on the city outside her window. The fact that she wouldn't see him again for a long time was heartbreaking and made her chest hurt.

She didn't pay attention when he parked, or when he opened her door and helped her out of the car. She was so lost in thought that she didn't even react when he held her hand as they walked several blocks. It was freezing out, and the happy people around them kept jostling her. How could they be so content when she was so miserable?

The chill hand that cupped her chin made her start, her eyes rising to meet his.

"So, what do you think?" he asked.

"Um … about what?"

His lips quirked at her confusion. She had been so quiet that he wasn't surprised that she had paid no attention to where they were.

He nodded behind her, and she turned. He waited for her to say something. When the silence lengthened, he swallowed his disappointment and felt rather foolish. Of course, she wouldn't remember going to the Fair with him sicne she had only been a small child at the time.

"I don't know if you remember, but when you were in Dallas we went to the State Fair and you—"

He caught her as she threw herself at him, her arms tight around his waist. He held her close, breathing her in and memorizing every aspect of her scent. He was worried about how quiet she had been since the previous night, concerned that she was not dealing well with what had occurred. It pleased him greatly that he was able to give her at least one happy memory of Chicago. "I take it you remember?"

"Yeah." She smiled and stepped away, but kept her hand firmly in his. "C'mon, Godric! What are you waiting for?"

He laughed as it was now her tugging him along as they hurried towards The Navy Pier and the brightly shining Ferris Wheel.

"They recently replaced it," he said softly when he saw her shivering. He unwrapped the white scarf he wore to blend in with humans, and carefully tucked it around her neck. "They added enclosed seats so that they can be heated in the winter, thus allowing it to remain operational all year long."

She smiled at him brightly, her eyes shining as he fussed over her. "We need to go get tickets and—"

"It has already been taken care of."

She shook her head fondly. "Thank you, Godric, this is wonderful," she said shyly.

He only smiled and they waited quietly in the short line. With old world manners, he handed her into the booth, waiting for her to get situated before joining her.

She slid close to his side when the Ferris wheel operator closed the door, grateful that nobody else joined them. She leaned her head against his shoulder as they started to rise, the lights of the city against the darkness of the lake taking her breath away.

Her cheeks hurt from smiling so much, especially when Godric once again reached for her hand. He had brought her on a date to a Ferris wheel. It was so incredibly romantic and perfect for their last few hours together. She wished she had dressed up more, maybe tried some of that makeup Isabel had bought her, but it was freezing out and she had gone for comfort over fashion. Then again, she sort of had the idea he liked seeing her in his old jacket …

She really wished she had the nerve of her five-year-old self to ask him about bonding and marriage, but she knew he would just tell her to wait until she was eighteen.

Godric squeezed her hand as they rose smoothly into the sky. "I have something for you."

He smelled good, and she took a deep breath. "Hm?"

He reached into his jacket and pulled out a purple iPhone. "I already programmed my personal number, Isabel's, Eric's, my direct office number, as well as the day phone in my nest. Talbot and Russell also asked for their numbers to be added."

She gaped, her hands trembling as they gripped the phone tightly. "But …"

"The danger your nest has been hiding from since you were five-years-old has passed with Appius' death," Godric said softly. He watched the way she held the phone with the oddest expression on her face. "Still, the phone is encrypted so that it cannot be traced. You know how dangerous the vampire world is, and many changes are coming. I will not put you in danger."

"I can call you?" she double-checked. Was this really happening? "Er," she blushed and added hurriedly, "and Isabel, of course."

"Yes, Firefly. You can." He turned to face her on the narrow bench. "Theron knows about this, and has given his consent."

He laughed when she squealed and threw her arms around his neck in a hug, their booth rocking back and forth. It truly took so little to make her happy. He pushed away the faint thought that he had also loathed their coming separation, and that this had been just as much for him as it had been for her.

"Of course," he added casually, "you may not have much time to call me when you start your photography class."

Alex leaned back with a confused look. "Um, Godric? I'm not taking that class anymore, remember? I bought yo— um, I mean, I bought everyone's Christmas gifts with the money I had saved for it." The look in his eyes made her feel warm and gooey inside.

"Josiah told me. Did you really think that I would let you give up such a thing for me?"

"It was worth it."

He brushed her hair away from her forehead, and wrapped the end of her braid around his fingers, giving it a teasing tug. "I treasure your Christmas gift, and it honors me that you would be so unselfish. Let me give you this in return."

"But you've already done so much. I don't have anything so grand to give you." She looked down and fiddled with the hem of his scarf, her stomach twisting in knots. It was part of Courtship that each give the other gifts of equal or greater value.

"This is not a competition, Alex. You deserve it." He couldn't help but be amused at her stubborn look so unlike those who wished for his attentions for what he could give them. "Dear one, do not make me refer to how many times I have saved your life."

Her heart skipped a beat at his endearment. "Not fair."

"Alas, I did not promise to be so."

She huffed at his teasing tone and tried to stifle her smile. "Fine, you win. But don't," she warned, "think that you always will!"

"Good, since I already paid for the class anyway."

"Godric!" When he only looked at her in obvious amusement, she curled back up against his side. "Thank you."

He held her close, burying his nose in her hair. It was quiet as the Ferris wheel began its slow descent.

Her whisper was so soft a human would have overlooked it, and she kept her gaze pinned on the city. "I'm going to miss you. Does it bother you that you're my best friend? I know it's a human idea but—"

He shushed her gently. "I am honored that you think of me so highly."

She had to say something about their future Courtship, even if she couldn't directly acknowledge it. "I-I turn eighteen in three years." She looked up at him, her eyes serious. She knew he would understand what she could not implicitly state.

Stupid Courting rules.

He forcibly shoved the pain of knowing her Mate would most likely not wish for her to continue this odd friendship of theirs. "I know. Let us enjoy the view of the city, Firefly, without talk of such serious subjects. Afterward, I believe we can purchase a picture taken at the end of the pier."

She hid a smile that he referred to their Courtship as a 'serious subject' and that he wanted to enjoy the romantic view of the city. "Let's hope this one doesn't get dropped in the snow or bled on," she said with a carefree laugh.

* * *

After they paid for two copies of said picture, they walked to the end of the pier, looking out onto the dark lake. She liked the photo as it had the lit city behind them with part of the Ferris Wheel in the background. She didn't even realize how quiet she was until Godric playfully tugged on the end of her braid. She liked that new habit of his, liked knowing his scent was on her in some way. That hers was on him.

"Alex? Are you well with what happened?"

"Dad told me a little bit about Cyra and Ettor. And Appius."

He nodded, waiting for her to continue.

"It sort of makes me feel bad for using Cyra against him like that. I mean," she added hurriedly, "I would do it again if I had to. But … it makes me sad, too. It must hurt to love someone who doesn't love you back."

He was quiet for a moment, considering her words. "Appius was unable to realize that he only Commanded Cyra's affections, she never gave them willingly. He always had the tendency to delude himself. When she met Ettor … it gave her the strength to break his Commands."

"I didn't know vampires could do that."

Godric hesitated, choosing his words carefully in light of The Ancient Pythoness' orders. "Ettor and Cyra cared very deeply for each other. She was a gentle soul who never should have been Turned and had been a healer to her people. Appius saw her singing on the bank of a river near her home in Egypt when he was only fifty years old, and decided to change her. She never broke from his cruelty, although he did shield her from most of our Maker's attentions. When she was still young, she saved a large group of Guardian children at great personal risk, and without feeding on their delicious blood. It's probably why …" He rethought his explanation before smoothly continuing, "… why she was so blessed to find Ettor."

"Did you love her too?" she asked quietly. She wasn't really jealous because it would be silly for him to have spent two thousand years without falling in love. However, it did make her feel a little insecure. Cyra sounded perfect and had probably been really beautiful too.

He looked down at her curiously. "No. You heard what Appius said of me, and of my treatment by my Maker. It took many centuries for me to become more than a wildling, and it was not until after Turning Eric that I began to regain some sense of civilized behavior. She was not much older than I in vampire years, and she was as kind as she could be to me. I did not see her again until twelve hundred years later when Theron asked my help to track Appius."

"Appius killed Ettor in front of Cyra?"

"Yes. The Supernatural Council became involved after she killed herself, and he was punished heavily. The Guardians were fond of Cyra because of her actions centuries before. They desired the worst punishment possible."

It was the second time he had used that word. Guardians. It was … familiar … but she didn't remember her father telling her about them. "Whats a Guardian? Are they like the Fae?"

Godric began to guide them back towards the car. "No."

"I don't think I have ever met one before," she said slowly. Some voice was niggling in the back of her mind, trying to tell her that that was not exactly true.s

"Much in the way of the Fae, they left this realm long ago."

She shot a glance at Godric out of the corner of her eyes. He looked like he always did, face blank and most of his emotion showing in his pretty eyes. Still, she could tell something about Guardians made him really uncomfortable.

"Come, Alex. We need to make our way back to the hotel so that we can both catch our planes."

* * *

Theron carefully watched as Alex said goodbye to his old friend. When Godric had asked for permission to give his daughter a phone and his nest's contact information, he had been … concerned. He had been forced over the last few days to realize his little girl was growing up, and it had briefly crossed his mind to be worried that she had an inappropriate crush on the Texas Sheriff. After all, his old friend did have the physical appearance of a boy around eighteen and had saved her life many times. He was relieved to see that Alex was perfectly composed in her farewell and that her eyes did not linger on the Gaul as they left the suite.

As for Godric, he was as blank and emotionless as always. He was grateful to his friend for humoring Alex the last few days and also saving her life. Who would ever have thought that their enemy was Appius? There was no way Theron would have survived a direct confrontation with the older vampire, and he knew it.

Yes, he did owe Godric greatly for the last few days. He felt foolish for thinking that Alex felt anything but gratitude towards her savior, and firmly banished all suspicion from his mind.

* * *

Alex swallowed down all of her pain at being separated from Godric, using ever trick her father had taught her to hide her emotions. It hurt when the warm feeling of his power that had been curled around her for the last few days finally slipped completely away, and she was once again cold and alone.

She bit the inside of her cheek, the pain helping her to control her tears. She would not shame her family by crying, and she was glad that she hadn't given Eric the satisfaction of seeing her stare after his Maker like some pathetic lovesick kid. No, she was a Makhaira, and she would show them all that she was worthy of Courting Godric in three years.

"Are you okay, Al?" Brian asked quietly while her family left to get ready to settle into their travel coffins for the day. The chartered plane taxied down the runway, and she gave him a watery smile.

"Yeah."

"You can talk to either George or I if you want to. I know you've had nightmares about what happened."

It was sweet of him to offer, but this was a vampire thing, and they were very human. She thought of Godric's shirt tucked safely away in her suitcase, and how it had kept the worst of the dreams away. "Thanks, but I just want to be by myself for a little while. A lot happened in Chicago."

He nodded and placed her dinner on the tray next to her. "Don't stay up too late, and make sure you eat."

As the plane began to take off, Alex quickly pulled out her new phone. She tapped a quick message to Isabel, and while she waited for a response she clicked on an app. Thank the gods for Amazon Prime and their new two-hour delivery service. She found what she was looking for, and when her Isabel answered, quickly placed her order.

It had irritated her how Eric had kept eyeballing her suspiciously whenever she so much as looked at Godric. It was time that he learned exactly why her brothers sometimes thought twice in teasing her.

She couldn't wait until Eric got her 'gift'. She wondered how he would enjoy the body glitter and bright pink "Real Vampires Sparkle" spandex T-shirt she had just paid to have delivered tomorrow night. Maybe harassing Eric would help pass the time over the next few years.

She smiled mischievously. If nothing else, she couldn't wait to call him her 'step-son'. She was already picturing the look on his face … it was going to be _amazing_.

Alex sighed and looked forlornly out the window of the plane, her chin in her hands. It hurt to be separated from Godric but at least, this time, they would be able to talk to each other. She wondered if he knew how to Skype?

She was almost asleep in her seat when her phone chirped that she had another text message. She glanced down at the screen, and a sweet warmth filled her chest when she saw the sender.

_Dream well, Firefly, and stay safe. _

She finally fell deeply asleep, dreaming of a forest lit by moonlight and a man and woman with wings guarding her as they traveled down a well-worn path towards a clearing in the distance, a soft song on the breeze calling her home.


	17. Chapter 11

A/N: First things first, don't shoot me. Things start to get real in this chapter, but they will get better after this. It needed to happen, and everything occurs for a reason. Things will get better, and the next chapter will be less heavy. That being said, I am not in the medical field. I can google with the best of them, but some things I just went with what seemed logical.

Thank you for everyone who is reading and/or reviewing my stories. I appreciate it more than you know. Oh, and for anyone who doesn't know, I wrote a little drabble called 'The Game' that is loosely based on Alex and Godric post-mating.

The usual disclaimer goes here, and off we go!

* * *

**Chapter 11**

Barcelona  
2.5 Years Later

_"Hey little sister, I'm going to have to stay at King Pierre's nest for the next two nights in order to get the project he has me working on complete. George and Brian will be at the nest if you need anything. Have fun on your art trip, and at least try not to cause massive chaos while I'm gone."_

Alex rolled her eyes at Josiah's voicemail and turned on Pandora so the house wouldn't be so quiet. Her father and two other brothers were doing something in Japan for the Authority, and since she wasn't allowed back into Tokyo for the next five hundred years they left her behind. If it hadn't been such a great opportunity to get some things done without her family's knowledge she would have been seriously peeved at how little she saw Josiah.

Alex glanced at the clock for the tenth time as she haphazardly packed a day bag for her class trip that was in a few hours. She tapped her foot, watching the minutes slowly tick closer to 4am. Over the past two-and-a-half years she and Godric had settled into talking on Tuesdays and Fridays, and it was her turn to call.

She loved their chats or, as she privately called them, their 'date nights.' Just knowing that she would be able to talk to him helped ease how lonely and adrift she often felt no matter how busy she was. She really hoped that nothing would come up tonight with his Area so that they could talk for more than just a few minutes. For some reason, she had felt … uneasy … the last few days and she still felt off kilter. She kept looking over her shoulder, expecting someone to be there … but there never was.

The feeling was driving her up the wall.

Alex caught her reflection in the mirror and carefully reached up to adjust the hair comb he had given her back in Chicago. She wore it every day, no matter how much Talbot liked to tease her when he called her on Wednesdays. She swore that crazy vampire tried to get her to blush at least once every time they Skyped.

Speaking of Talbot … she walked over to her jewelry box and the package she had just received today, amused at the newest addition to the charm bracelet he had started a year ago. She still hadn't figured out why he gave her a frog wearing a crown, or why he found it so amusing. Like all the other charms it was made of steel, and she had had to promise the overly dramatic vampire to never take it off.

Honestly, she felt kinda bad for Russell. Talbot's pout was deadly!

She looked back over at the clock. "Seriously," she muttered, "is time going backward?"

She flopped down on the bed, considering the past two years. She was so close to being eighteen, only six months away from being able to move back home to Dallas. Gods, she would have a _home_ again. A place where she could wake up day after day, knowing that she would do the same for the next day, and the next, and the next. It would be a real home, and it would be with her Godric.

Gods, she loved him so much her heart ached with it.

She frowned and rolled over onto her belly, pillowing her chin on her hands. She had applied to the photography program at Dallas University a few weeks ago and sent in a portfolio of her work. She couldn't wait to find out if she was accepted, and planned to tell Godric as soon as she knew. She just knew he would love the surprise. Hopefully, it would cheer him up since he had been pretty weird the last few weeks. He still talked to her, but it was … different. She wondered if Stan was being a pain in the ass since the cowboy hadn't agreed with The Great Revelation and liked to cause a lot of trouble.

She started singing along to a song on the radio, grateful nobody was there to listen to her awful voice. She rolled over and reached for the shoe box hidden behind her bed. She carefully opened the lid, smiling at the childish pink heart with A + G that she had drawn on the underside with a crayon when she was eight. This box held the few treasures she had saved from Godric over the years, and it always made her smile.

She reached for the velvet bundle hidden under the dried flowers, jar lid, and children's book and carefully unwrapped the Courtship bracelet and Bonding Knife she had scrimped and saved for two years to buy. It was so expensive that she had to liberally bribe her brothers with various photographic evidence of their misdeeds so she could design and order exactly what she wanted from a human jeweler who had no idea of the special meaning behind what he was crafting. She just needed to do the ceremony blessing them with her blood under the moon during the equinox, and they would be ready.

_Buzz._

"Finally!" Alex sprung from the bed as her alarm indicated that it was 4am. She tapped Godric's number and impatiently waited for the call to go through. She just couldn't shake the feeling that she really needed to talk to him …

"Hola, Godric," she said when the ringing stopped, relief sweeping through her as the tight feeling in her chest relaxed. "How are you?"

"Alex," came Isabel's unexpected voice on the other end.

Her shoulders slumped and she sighed, knowing what it had to mean. "Hi, Isabel. Something has come up again, hasn't it?"

Isabel looked over at her Sheriff who was glaring down at a kneeling Stan and three other underlings. She knew that a large part of his fury was the fact that he had to skip his talk with Alex and instead deal with the four idiots who were practically quivering in fear on his carpet. Everyone in Dallas knew that Godric was not available on Tuesday and Friday nights at this time, although none knew the reason why. His anger and vicious punishments, when interrupted, had quickly persuaded his Area to steer well clear of the Gaul at those times.

"I'm sorry, Alex, but he's currently dealing with an unfortunate incident. Some vampires just cannot learn to behave after The Great Revelation."

She grinned as the teen muttered 'politics' like it was a filthy word. She wondered if the young woman knew how Godric moved mountains to rearrange his schedule and even stayed awake during the day to complete his work so they could speak as often as they did. She doubted it, as her boss could be annoyingly tight-lipped.

Isabel had had to interrupt them a few times during their chats, and the look on Godric's face was more alive than she had seen it in centuries. She had even heard him laugh on several occasions. It was wonderful, but as Alex approached ever closer to eighteen, she could see him withdrawing, even as the young woman stubbornly refused to let him dodge her phone calls.

"Indeed," Isabel laughed, "politics can be a pain. He would speak with you if he could, you know this."

Alex frowned with worry. She really felt like it was important she talk to Godric. "I really need …" She stopped and shook her head, stubbornly pushing the feeling aside. She was not a child that needed her hand held or to be afraid of a silly feeling. "Never mind. Um, can you please tell him that I expect an extra long talk on Tuesday? I can't wait to tell him about the historical site my photography class is going to visit tomorrow. Let him know I'll email him pictures, okay? I promise that this time I won't even photoshop Eric into them dressed as Tinkerbell, no matter how pretty he looks in green."

Isabel frowned, hearing the stress underneath Alex's lighthearted words. "Alex, is everything okay?"

Alex hesitated at the clear worry in Isabel's voice. "Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry about it. Tell Stan not to be such a lame brain, okay? It's not like he would ever win against Godric."

Isabel laughed at the glare Stan shot her at Alex's words. "Done, and with great pleasure. I have to go now. I'm sure the Sheriff will make it up to you on Tuesday."

Alex smiled sadly at the phone but made sure to keep her voice perky even as her stomach churned with nerves. "Sure, that sounds good. Goodb—" She stared down with fond amusement at her phone when all she heard was the dial tone. Vampires. No doubt humans found their phone etiquette to be less than impressive.

She tossed the cell phone on her bed and continued to get ready. It was early, or rather, it was rather late for her since it was almost sunup, but her class was leaving at ten so it wasn't worth going to sleep beforehand. She couldn't wait to see what site they were photographing tomorrow.

She moved across the room to her desk and grabbed her camera bag, never noticing how the clasp on her charm bracelet snagged on the edge of her desk and fell soundlessly to the floor.

* * *

Their teacher drove carefully through the crowded Barcelona streets as he chattered excitedly about where they were going. The class was made up of ten students, ranging from ages fourteen to nineteen and they were all complete photography geeks.

Alex sat in the back of the van next to the only person in the class who bothered to really talk to her. Sasha was descended from a Wereswan family but did not carry the gene to change, and her unflappable manner meant she was often paired with Alex during partnered work. It also helped that she knew Alex was adopted by a vampire nest, so there weren't any awkward questions about her family life.

"Is that your boyfriend?" Sasha asked, her soft voice barely able to be heard over the loudly chattering students.

Alex glanced up from her phone to the blond girl, her hair so light it was almost white, as was characteristic of her kind. Her black eyes were calm and friendly, and Alex had begun to think that maybe she could be a friend. They were about the same age, Sasha being a year older, and she wasn't put off from Alex by whatever made humans so uncomfortable. The older girl had even told Alex that it was a relief to not have to constantly watch what she said or acted so as to not stand out to the human kids in the class.

"No," Alex said and shyly turned her phone to show off her gorgeous vampire. The lock screen was her favorite picture of Godric dressed in jeans and a grey silk shirt that matched his eyes. It had been the only thing she requested from him for her last birthday, and she treasured it. She remembered how surprised he had been that that was all she had wanted. Well, that and she had asked for an extra long Skype. She had made him point the computer camera so she could direct how she wanted him to pose. Isabel had taken the picture, and Alex had even managed to tease Godric into a rare smile. It was her favorite of his smiles, the small quirk of his lips as he relaxed back against his weird, modern-looking chair one that she adored and always made her heart skip a beat.

Sasha smiled knowingly, her dark eyes twinkling. "But you want him to be?"

Alex traced her thumb over the screen, her mind going to the past. When she had last seen him in Chicago so much had happened, and she hadn't fully understood the depth of feeling she held for him. That feeling had only grown deeper and deeper, and she knew her own heart.

"He's … amazing. I've known him ever since I was a little girl, and I just knew the first time I saw him. He's wonderful and so compassionate and smart. And really, really intense. When he looks at me …" She blushed and looked away from the knowing glance the older girl was giving her.

"Wow, you have it bad," Sasha teased. "No, it's okay," she reassured her clearly embarrassed classmate. "I feel the same way about my—" she lowered her voice so the humans wouldn't hear, "—mate."

"I love him …" Alex whispered. She raised shining eyes to someone she hoped to maybe have as a friend, even though Wereswans and Vampires did not typically mix. "I love him," she said again with a grin so wide her cheeks hurt.

Sasha gently smiled. "Is it the first time you've ever said it out loud?"

"Yeah."

"What do your father and brothers think of him? I know your nes— um, family situation is … unique."

Alex grinned. "It won't be a problem." She was so relieved her dad had given Godric his blessing. She had caught Theron looking at her hair comb in approval when she wore it, especially if they were going to one of the vampire Courts. He even interfered when some vampires wouldn't take her polite disinterest at face value.

"Have you told him how you feel? Has he told you?"

"How much do you know about Courtship rules within The Code?" Alex whispered, leaning in close. She was excited to be having 'girl talk' and wanted to get the Were's advice on her plan.

Sasha also lowered her voice. Even though the world now knew of vampires, humans still were kept ignorant of their culture. "I know that they're very strict and really detailed. I guess it would have to be since age and blood status is such a big deal for vampires."

Alex nodded. "Yeah. I have to be the one to approach him because I'm younger, but I can't do that until I'm considered an adult in the human world where he lives. It's one of the new rules because of The Reveal. Since that's eighteen, I have six more months to go. Everything is really informal right now, and nobody can talk about it until an announcement is made. My family knows, though," she said with a quick smile. "Anytime someone even looks like they're interested in me, they warn them away." She touched the comb in her hair, still irritated that some would not acknowledge Godric's clear Pre-Courtship claim on her.

Sasha frowned, deeply puzzled by what Alex was telling her. "But … why would you have to go through all of that for a human boy?"

Alex's eyes went wide, but before she could tell her new friend that Godric was most definitely a vampire, and an Ancient one at that, movement outside the window caught her attention. The van had slowed for a red light and a single man stood on the corner, staring straight at her.

"Alex?"

She ignored Sasha, her puzzled gaze still on the man in the long jacket. He had a scar on his face that looked almost … familiar. A strange shiver of dread went down her back, her skin breaking out in goosebumps.

"Alex, what's wrong?"

The light turned green and the van eased forward. Alex turned to watch the man out of the back window. She frowned when he gave her a cold smile and brought two fingers to his forehead in a cocky salute.

"That's weird," she muttered. It had to be a trick of the light, but she could have sworn that it looked like his eyes blazed gold, before he slipped on a pair of sunglasses and turned to walk away.

"What's weird?" Sasha demanded. She also turned to see what her seat mate was looking at, but all she saw was an empty sidewalk.

Alex shook her head and sat forward. "Nothing. I thought I recognized someone. I'm just being stupid. Um, so about Go—"

The van's sudden, violent swerve had Alex grabbing on to the back of the seat in front of her. Beside her, Sasha yelped in startled pain as her head banged against the window.

"Hold on!" their teacher shouted as he desperately tried to get around a car that had abruptly stalled directly in front of them in the middle of the intersection.

Alex's eyes widened and her heart leaped. This was the busiest intersection in the city where six of the major roads came together in one giant round-about. For a moment it looked like they were clear, but suddenly the van slid sidewise and directly into oncoming traffic.

"Fuck!"

She didn't know who shouted as the world went into slow motion. Slowly her head turned, and she gasped when she saw the car heading straight towards the back of the van.

The sudden, bright flash of light dazzled her eyes, and Alex could have sworn she saw wings glittering in the sunlight directly in front of her. It felt like the van abruptly skidded backward several feet, and then a sudden, jarring impact hit the near the front, violently forcing the car to spin 180 degrees.

"Oh my god!" Sasha sobbed.

Alex blindly reached for her hand, holding on for dear life.

The world sped up, and everything started to happen too fast. One minute the van was twisting from the first impact into the safety of the empty median, and then it seemed to almost hop to the side and into another lane of quickly approaching cars.

Horns blared, tires squealed, and the smell of burnt rubber became her world as cars passed narrowly on either side of the still moving van. Alex saw the semi-truck bearing down on them, the loud cries of her fellow students turning shrill and tight with terror. She heard Sasha praying beside her, but she was unable to do anything but stare as the huge truck grew bigger and bigger.

She had a split second to realize it was coming straight at the back of the van where she was sitting when another blinding light flashed in front of her.

She screamed when the van skidded backward a few feet with such force that her head jerked forward and then slammed back into the headrest with jarring force. Her hand fell away from Sasha's as she desperately tried to hold on to her seatbelt.

She had no time to brace herself before they were hit a second time. The two boys in the row in front of her died in a violent splatter of blood as metal collapsed explosively inwards.

They continued to slide sidewise, and Alex had seconds to realize that the van was going to slam into the steel guardrails. She gripped the seatbelt strap across her chest and clenched her eyes shut as she braced for impact.

When they hit, she had just enough time to shout one name before there was nothing but the screech of shredding metal and shattering glass, and a sudden blooming heat that tore through her middle as everything went dark.

* * *

George and Brian abandoned the car and raced towards the scene of the accident. They had been several vehicles behind the van as they were traveling somewhat in the same direction on an errand for Josiah.

The accident had happened so fast, and Brian knew he would never forget seeing the van holding the young woman they had watched grow from a child be slammed about like it was no more than a toy.

Brian desperately tried to wrench open the front passenger door that was nothing but twisted metal. The fumes of spilled gas, the screams of bystanders, and the blood splattered shards of glass made their desperation increase.

"Alex!" George said. "Alex, answer me damn it!"

Brian tried looking through a small gap in the twisted metal, trying to see any movement. He could already tell by the way the bodies lay in the middle and front of the van where the two main impacts had occurred were dead. The rear of the van hadn't been directly impacted, and if Alex had been sitting there then she had a chance!

He dashed around the back and managed to get the hatch door open. The relief he felt at seeing her red hair in the backseat was slowly eaten away by shock and horror at the position of her body. A growing pool of blood gathered beneath her, and he traced it back to the big piece of metal sticking out of her stomach.

"Alex, please, answer me!" he demanded. A weak voice, responded, but it wasn't hers.

"S-she's … breath … ing," a soft voice gasped out.

"George, she's back here!" he shouted and turned back to the van. "Honey, its going to be okay. Help is on it's way. What's your name?"

"Sa—" she coughed wetly and Brian winced at the painful sound. "Sasha. It hurts," she whimpered. "N-need Dr. L-Ludwig."

"I know, sweetheart. Don't move, okay?"

He could hear the sounds of sirens coming closer, and his partner was already on the phone talking to Dr. Ludwig. Brian glanced up at the afternoon sun, and winced when he realized it would be hours before Josiah rose for the night. With trembling fingers, he sent off an emergency text message to Theron, even though he knew he would still be in his own death sleep in Japan.

George shoved his phone in his pocket, and his worried eyes met Brian's. "She'll meet us at the hospital. When she's stable Alex will be transferred to the nearest Supe medical center." He looked into the van and wished he had the strength to tear the metal apart so he could at least reach Alex's hand.

* * *

_Dallas, Texas_

Godric sat working at his desk, once more wiping the blood dribbling from his nose and ear with an irritated flick of his hand. He had been at work for hours, and was almost done. With a last signature on the mini iPad, he had cleared several hours from his calendar once dark fell to have an unscheduled Skype session with Alex.

Guilt filled him that he had not been able to speak with her the night before, especially since he could tell something was wrong. He wished she had told Isabel, but Alex was amazingly stubborn about some things.

He went to stand and paused, half-lifted from his chair. An odd sensation moved through him, making him stagger and almost fall onto his desk.

He put out a hand to stabilize himself and shook his head at the sudden weakness. "Obviously, I need to drink more donor bags if I'm stumbling around like a drunk human just a few hours past sunrise," he muttered to himself.

As soon as it came the feeling of weakness passed, and he straightened as he moved to his personal refrigerator. The sudden ringing of his office phone made him pause, but he ignored it. Everyone knew vampires could not be awake during the day, and so whoever it was could leave a message.

When his work phone, and then his personal phone rang, he quickly vamp-sped back to his desk, dread filling him when he saw who it was on Caller ID

"What has happened?" he demanded harshly.

"Sheriff … it's Josiah."

"Youngling," he said again, "tell me. Now." Fear, an emotion he had not felt in centuries, filled him. Something was wrong. Very, very wrong.

"It's my sister."

Josiah's voice broke, sounding so pained and desperate that Godric's grip tightened on the phone until it threatened to shatter.

No. Not her. _Anyone_ but her. Let an entire country of people die as long as she remained safe and smiling.

"What about Alex?" he asked numbly, as he sank into his chair and feeling like all of his blood had been drained from his body.

No.

She was _fine_. She had to be fine. He was going to surprise her tonight so she could tell him about her adventures with her class. He would call her and she would answer the phone curled up in his jacket, her eyes lit in that special way that made him feel warm. He so loved surprising her and making her happy. He glanced at the boxed present he had had specially made for her, and could already see in his mind her look of surprised pleasure.

"There was an accident on the way to the photography site, and the vehicle she was in was hit by multiple cars. Godric … she was only one of two survivors."

The image of a smiling Alex shattered as anguish bloomed at the very thought of her being hurt and in pain.

He could feel his progeny begin to stir from their own sleep as his side of their bond went dark and turbulent. He slammed those links closed, shoving his emotions as far into a corner of his mind as possible.

A vampire was not ruled by his emotions.

Godric rose and vamp-sped to his underground chambers and quickly packed while texting orders to his dayman to charter an emergency flight to Barcelona. "Have you called Dr. Ludwig? What hospital is she at? What are her injuries? Do we need to fly in other human medical specialists? Are Theron and your brothers still in Japan? King Pierre will authorize guards for her until they or I can arrive. Can I speak with her now, or is she still being seen by the healers?"

The pause on the other end seemed to last for eons, and he went perfectly still. The next words had his world shatter into a thousand pieces.

"Sheriff … she's dying. Dr. Ludwig said that if anyone wants to say goodbye, they need to get here as soon as possible."

* * *

Godric stared up at the wooden ceiling of his travel coffin. He felt his panicked Children trying to reach him through their bonds, but he once more harshly rebuffed them.

He had not spoken to her last night, even though he knew something was bothering her. He had not even taken the time to tell her himself but had put it off on Isabel because he was so angry with Stan interrupting his plans for the night and he did not want to snap at Al- at _her_.

He had not spoken to her ... and now there was a chance he never would again. That she could go to her grave thinking that he could not even spare a moment for her.

There was a gaping maw within him, pain and anguish clawing and ripping at his insides and threatening to break his icy calm. He was unable to retreat into his day rest, unable to do anything but shut what he felt far, far away. She had to still be alive when he arrived in Barcelona. He had to have the chance to say goodbye, to tell her how much the last few years had meant to him.

He clenched his eyes shut. He had to tell her she was not allowed to die and leave him behind.

He felt the plane start to descend and left his coffin. He exited the reinforced room at the back and stared with dead eyes at the redheaded stewardess that came to greet him. He had almost demanded a new flight attendant when he had seen her hair, but her dyed tresses were nowhere near as red and beautiful as …

He shook off the thought, his nails breaking the skin of his palms. He couldn't think her name. _Wouldn't_ think her name. Not right now. Not while everything in him was being held together by sheer willpower.

"How long before we land?" he asked quietly, ominously.

"T-Thirty minutes," the stewardess stuttered and pressed herself into the wall. "W-we're a-approaching the final descent n-now. D-Do you want a True Blood?"

Godric barely gave her a glance as he moved to a nearby seat and stared sightlessly out the window. He wanted to rip the door off the plane and fly to her, to make every minute she had left count. To make sure she knew he was there with her, and that she was not alone.

It was an eternity before the plane finally came to a stop, and he was out the door before the trembling stewardess had unbuckled her seatbelt. He was about to take to the air when he saw two familiar humans walk out of the nearby terminal.

He met George's puffy-eyed gaze. "Where is she?"

* * *

Godric stared at the closed door to her hospital room. The black tangle of emotions in his center twisted and almost broke through the wall he had placed around them. He felt alone, more alone than he had in years.

When had he last been so afraid to enter a room? He could smell her, her scent weak and filled with pain and partly covered with the sour smell of human medicine. He would know her scent a thousand years from now, and would always be able to pick it out of a crowd.

He opened the door and knew what it felt like to have his heart ripped out of his chest.

Her eyes were closed, her lashes a dark arc of shadow against her too pale skin.

Small.

She was so very, very small.

_Anguish. Helplessness._

Emotions surged, threatening to break his iron control, and he felt his son shoving at their bond, trying to break through. No. He could tolerate nothing and no one right now. Not when Al— when she was dying. He could almost imagine he could feel her slipping further and further away from him.

Josiah met his gaze, the youngling's face pale and stained with bloody tears. He got up, the motion as stiff as an elderly human. "Dr. Ludwig says she stabilized for a while, but now she's beginning to falter. Our father and brothers …" his voice broke, and he roughly cleared his throat. "They will not get here from Japan in time."

Godric's grief howled within him, and he viciously built the walls holding back his emotions higher than ever. He would not break, would not give in to the despair clawing at his heart.

Josiah shivered at the glacial power the Ancient gave off. He had felt him coming from miles away, and once again marveled at how close his little sister had become to a vampire others feared. The small part of him not consumed by his own pain thought that it would be smart to call Eric just in case Godric's reaction to Alex's death did not go well. The vampire was an Ancient, though, and such vampires were always in control. It was an ability that at the moment he was highly envious of.

"I will let you say your goodbye alone. Dr. Ludwig will be here in about thirty minutes."

Godric ignored the closing door, his eyes still on Alex. For a moment he didn't move as he willed with all of his might that this was just a bad dream.

With heavy steps, he walked to the vacated chair next to her bed. For the first time in years, he felt the true weight of his age bearing down on him. The pain in his chest burned stronger, raging to get free the closer he came to her, and it only increased when he took her hand in his.

He studied her hand, seeing the tiny scars across her fingers and the calluses she had gained from physical training. Wrong. It was all _wrong_. She was cold and so very still. Unable to help himself, he leaned down and gently kissed the tips of her fingers.

"Alex," he whispered hoarsely as he threaded their fingers together, his touch as soft as a butterfly's wings. When was the last time he had ever seen her so still? Even while curled up in bed during their talks, she was always moving about in some way. He had teasingly called her a fidgeter many times, saying that she was the epitome of the human phrase about having 'ants in the pants'.

"Alex," he whispered again, his voice cracking. Emotion finally grew beyond his control, and his walls shattered as her name fell from his lips in a pain-filled mantra.

"Alex … Alex … Alex … _my Alex_," he said, so consumed with his grief that he knew not what he said. For the first time in centuries, he prayed to the old gods, begging and demanding for her to be well, for them to take him instead. For a miracle to save her, for her vampire mate to suddenly appear to heal her. For her to not even be a Fated Mate so that his blood could heal her, instead of being useless poison.

Over the past year, Godric had grown to hate the idea of her mate, knowing that the lucky vampire would more than likely take all of Alex's attention. That she would forget the tired, old Sheriff who had been her childhood friend.

"Please," he whispered hoarsely, lost in his grief. "My heart, _please_ …"

He brought her hand to his lips again for another kiss and then pressed it against his cheek. He spoke words in a language long since forgotten, the tone rising and falling with his pleas. He begged for the gods to take his battered and weary soul to the darkest demons of hell for eternal torment if only Alex's Mate would somehow appear. He would give all of his wealth and everything he was to just know that at least somewhere in the world his Firefly was alive and happy.

His head bowed, he did not feel the single tear gather at the corner of his eye. So consumed with anguish, he did not see it fall and land on a scratch on her arm where it sat for a single, breathless moment. He did not see the small drop absorbed into the wound, or the faint and ghostly hint of a silver chord that briefly flashed into existence. It twined around and between them, but before it disappeared it began to softly pulse as a wave of power moved from Godric to Alex.

* * *

She floated, the only sound a slow, slowing, thud. What was that?

She hurt, but the pain was distant. The beat slowed, the pain slipping further away.

_Tired_.

She was so very tired, and the slowing thud made her even sleepier as the darkness grew deeper and heavier. She wanted to stop, to let go and let everything drift away. Something nudged at her, kept tugging at her attention and telling her she couldn't leave. That there was a reason to keep fighting.

It was just so hard …

Time passed, and the sound slowed further as the darkness grew deeper.

She floated.

How long had she been here? She was so tired, the strength to stay leaving her. The darkness sang, a pinprick of warm light at the end radiating calm, love and peace.

Her attention caught, she moved to the beginning of the … was it a tunnel? She squinted, seeing two figures in the distance, beckoning her closer.

The thudding beat grew so slow she could barely hear it.

_Alex … my Alex … Please …_

They came from behind her, echoing within the nothingness. Soft words. Pleading words. Alex? Who was Alex? The tone tore at her heart and pulled up foggy memories of … of …

Grey eyes. Ancient eyes.

She stopped, looking behind her into the pitch black void. Yes, she knew that voice. The figures in the distance beckoned once more, but she hesitated, uncertain. In one direction there was peace, and in the other … she sensed pain. So much pain.

_My heart … please …_

A light flashed through the dark, the air shimmering around her as a silver chord appeared in front of her, wrapping delicately around her wrist. It pulsed red and the darkness lightened around her, and her mind cleared.

Alex. _She_ was Alex.

She knew the man that voice belonged to. She would always know him, her heart unable to forget. He was home … he was safety and joy … he was … was …

_Godric_.

She immediately turned from the tunnel and two figures, ignoring the false comfort they promised. Her Godric was hurting, was calling for her, and she would never turn from him.

She had made a promise years ago to never purposefully cause him pain.

She swam through the dark with new determination, fighting against the urge to go back into the quiet as she followed the ghostly chord away from the tunnel.

The thudding grew louder, the sound echoing faster in her ears. She looked down at her wrist, terror filling her when she saw that the chord was fading from view.

No! She would be lost without it! Fear gave her extra strength, and she pushed forward.

**_Pain_**.

Oh, gods. It hurt so much, the weight of it pressing down on her. The weight had a name, and she realized what she was feeling was her body.

She floundered, the only thing keeping her from falling back towards oblivion was the few whisps of chord that still pulsed around her wrist. She had to fight! She couldn't go back … she had to fight … for _him_.

Godric. Her Godric.

She chanted his name like a mantra for strength as the darkness fell away, and the chord fully disappeared from around her wrist. _Godric … Godric … Godric …_

Something was in her nose, the air from it tickling and making her want to sneeze. Her body felt odd and like it belonged to someone else. Slowly she forced herself to lift heavy eyelids and realized that the hand holding hers trembled. Why was he so upset? Concern made her fight even harder to wake up.

She wanted to pull him to her, to run her hands through his hair and hold him and tell him that she would fix what made him so unhappy. Whatever it was must be serious, for she had never seen him show such naked emotion.

It took everything she had to move her thumb and it stuttered minutely across his palm. The touch soothed her, and she felt more of her hurt fade.

"D-Don't cry," she whispered, her tongue feeling three sizes too big. Her words were so soft that only a vampire would be able to hear them. "P-Please."

She tried to smile when his head jerked up, shocked red-rimmed eyes meeting her own.

"Alex!" Godric moved from the chair to sit next to her on her bed.

Weakly, she tugged at his hand, the motion barely strong enough to move a leaf. When he leaned down she said, "Missed … you. No … crying. 'k?"

Godric gave a choked laugh and pressed his cheek against hers, tightening his fingers around her hand. He took a deep breath, her scent soothing him, telling him that she was moving further away from Death's final embrace.

He leaned back but kept his face just inches away from hers. "You will not die, do you understand?" He breathed in again, needing the reassurance that she was there and fighting the urge to bury his face in her neck.

Alex felt sleep pulling at her, but she fought to keep her eyes open on his pretty grey ones. "Hm?"

He reached up to lay a hand against her disturbingly cool cheek. "Alex. You. Will. Not. Leave. Me." He was so focused that he was completely unaware of how his words sounded to the injured young woman.

Alex smiled, the warmth in her chest humming happily as she pressed her cheek against his hand. He was hers, and she was his. She would never leave him.

Her eyes grew heavy. Never … ever … ever …

"Promise. I … heard you. I came back… Godric. I lo—" she said, before sleep dragged her back into it's waiting arms.

* * *

Dr. Ludwig stared. How was the girl alive? She checked the machines again and then triple checked the girl's aura. Yes, she was slowly starting to stabilize, but it was impossible.

Unless …

Her mind flashed back to when the girl was ten and in her hospital, her Guardians having just saved her from a Were attack. She remembered how insistent the Dallas Sheriff had been on updates on the girl's health. They had mentioned something about the girl having already met her mate … of her having the start of a bond …

Dr. Ludwig turned her gaze to the Gaul, whose eyes was fixed on the sleeping girl as if nothing else in the world existed. Ludwig had almost lost her twice on the operating table, and she hadn't honestly thought Alex would pull through. She had stabilized briefly once night fell in Barcelona, and Dr. Ludwig could only assume the girl's brother had woken the Gaul in Dallas and told him what had happened. Several hours later, the little mate had once again come closer to death than the doctor was comfortable with, and she had thought for sure the girl was a goner. Now her blood pressure and pulse were normalizing, and she had even gained a trace of color in her cheeks.

Could it be …?

Ludwig shook her head, shocked at the very notion. She knew the stories of what Godric had done in his vampire youth … and to have him gifted with a Fated Mate was practically unthinkable. Still, she grudgingly admitted, if she had to deal with overly protective vampires she vastly preferred this one over many of his kind.

Godric's voice interrupted her thoughts. "Dr. Ludwig, what are Alex's injuries?"

Ludwig contemplated for a moment, her mouth pursed in thought. Technically he was not the girl's family, but if he was her mate and somehow strengthening her then he needed to know.

"She has cuts and bruises along her arms and face, as well as a cracked left humerus bone. She also dislocated her right elbow, probably from when she was flung against the window. The worst of the bruises are across her abdomen and chest from the seatbelt before it snapped, and she has a light concussion. The piece of metal that impaled her abdomen … we had to remove part of her liver, and with the scar tissue through her uterus … well. Even if she were not a Fated Mate, I sincerely doubt she would ever be able to carry children."

Ludwig carefully watched to see the Gaul's reactions as the list grew longer. It irritated her that she saw nothing on his emotionless face, but when she saw his fingers tighten on her patient's, she added another mark in the box of 'is he her Mate'.

Godric ignored the watching doctor, his attention fully on Alex. He could have lost her, and he would not have known until darkness fell. The idea rocked him to his core. She would have left him alone, and he would have been oblivious within his day rest.

Softly, he squeezed Alex's hand, needing the reminder that she was still with him and that she had not left him behind. That there was still a bright light left in a world he often thought was full of darkness and violence. The fingers of his other hand went to her wrist and he relaxed at the feel of her pulse. He breathed in sync with her, demanding through sheer force of will that she continue to live.

"Gaul, the wreck was bad enough that only she and a Wereswan survived, and only because they were in the back row and somehow avoided the multiple impacts. Still, the force that the van was hit with… when her seatbelt failed she was flung against the side hard enough to damage her spine."

Godric froze, his relief at her relatively minor injuries turning to ice. "How badly?"

Dr. Ludwig sighed and pulled out several pictures from her CAT and MRI scans. "The spine itself is intact, but the wrenching and twisting she experienced during the multiple impacts have created a problem. The swelling around her spinal cord is intense, and it's squeezing the nerves and causing at least temporary paralysis. Her Daymen were smart enough to contact me early enough that I could administer several alternative medicines that will help, but right now it's a crap shoot. We won't know how bad it is, or if its permanent until it subsides."

Worry twisted in his stomach, and he immediately began to make plans. "She has six months before she can find her mate."

Dr. Ludwig nodded. "I know, but by then the damage could be permanent and such that even vampire blood may not be enough to fully heal her."

She rolled her at the blank-faced vampire. "Buck up, Sheriff. There is no reason to think the worst yet. The girl will be in physical therapy as soon as she stabilizes to keep her muscles from atrophying. We will have to wean her off the painkillers soon, as we will need to know if she regains any sensation in her legs. She has a long and painful road in front of her."

She hesitated for a moment, eyes flickering to the door as the girl's brother arrived. She needed the Gaul to stay as close to the young woman as possible … but she needed a reason that the girl's brother would believe. "It would be best for someone to lay next to her."

Josiah's eyes widened. "Excuse me?" He looked at Alex and took a deep breath. "She is … not dying," he said in deep shock.

"No, she had turned the corner. Unfortunately, she keeps fighting the drugs, and it's not helping her situation. She needs to stay calm and quiet for the next forty-eight hours so we can try and minimize the swelling. Humans often react well and are soothed by skin-to-skin contact."

Godric looked over at Josiah, his face carefully blank. He wanted this … no, he needed this. He had spent the last eight hours of a hellish flight terrified that she would die before he could get to her side.

Josiah hesitated, uncomfortable with the idea of any man being that close with his little sister. He had to go give a personal report to the King about Alex's injuries, and at least the Gaul could be trusted to protect Alex while he was gone. The Sheriff was as protective of Alex as any of her brothers, and would do nicely as a guard.

With that thought, he agreed and watched as the young-looking vampire used his flying abilities to join Alex on the bed without disturbing her. The careful way the Ancient moved pleased Josiah, and he knew that the older vampire would not allow any harm to come to Alex. He was also pleased that the Ancient kept a respectful distance from his little sister.

"I will be back as soon as I can," he said and turned to leave. He would have been less happy had he seen the Sheriff settle himself closer to Alex, and take her hand in his own.

* * *

Her hair was soft. So soft.

Godric gently brushed a few strands off her forehead. Carefully, he inched closer on the narrow bed until he could feel the heat from her body, and could easily tangle his hand with hers. The small twitches and shifts she had been making slowed to a stop as she finally relaxed.

"Alex?" he asked hopefully, but there was only silence. He squeezed her hand. "I am here, Firefly. You are not alone. You are safe." He gave in to his need, and pressed his nose into her neck, breathing in her scent. It was acrid from pain and stress, but it was _her_. Gods, how he had missed her the last few years. His ... friend. The word felt odd to him, but he ignored it.

He went into downtime, filling his world with the slow beat of her heart, the softness of her skin, and her shallow breaths. She was here, and she was alive. She had not left him alone.

He jerked back into full awareness, fangs descending when he heard footsteps and the squeak of wheels approaching the room. He could smell sweet grass and crisp fall air, the particular scent of one specific species. Why would Wereswans be coming to this wing of the hospital?

Instinct flared. This was his temporary territory. _His_. He heard Alex's slow, deep breaths behind him and the need to protect flared.

Alex was helpless and depending on him to guard her. He vamp-sped to in front of the bed as the door slowly opened, unmasking his aura so it lay heavy in the room as he let loose a harsh snarl.

Godric didn't relax, even when he saw that one of the two teens was in a wheelchair and her scent was sour with medication. He regarded them with a cold look, his lips pulled away from his dropped fangs.

"H-hi. Um …" Sasha swallowed heavily, her attention fixed on the vampire. She had only ever seen one of Alex's brothers but knew she had two more. Was this one of them? If so, he was completely terrifying!

"Why," Godric hissed, "have you entered my territory?"

Sasha paled. Oh, gods, he had claimed this as his temporary territory with an injured nestmate? Why had no one put up a warning on the door or even thirty feet away at the corridor entry?

"Um, I-I was in the accident with Alex. Um, Alexandra. We're frie— well, we're students in the same art class. I was sitting next to her when … when …" Silvery tears, another trait of her kind, came to her eyes and slid down her cheeks.

Godric nodded and rose out of his crouch, retracting his fangs with a snick. He still did not move aside, nor did he invite them further into the room. It was hard enough to let them stand in the doorway, let alone approach his vulnerable Firefly.

For some reason, the female was staring at him, and he raised an eyebrow. Her words surprised him and made him swallow a pleased purr.

"You're the guy in the picture on her lock screen. I didn't recognize you with the fangs … um…" Sasha blurted and then turned bright red. She relaxed when her mate pressed an amused kiss to the top of her head.

Godric just stared unblinkingly at the two. In his experience, silence always made mortals uncomfortable and more prone to filling it with nervous chatter.

"Um, I'm sorry. My name is Sasha of the Atratus Wereswan Bevy, and this is my mate Andreu. Is … is she going to be okay? Nobody would tell us anything, and my mate had to sneak me over here." She kept her head submissively lowered. She was no predator, she was just a WereSwan and her kind did not do well with vampires. He was very attractive, but something about his eyes made every instinct she had tell her to run as far and fast away as possible. Not to mention Alex had failed to tell her that the guy she was so in love with was a vampire. No wonder she had mentioned Courtship rules.

"Dr. Ludwig believes she will recover in due time."

Sasha tried to find something she could relate to in his emotionless face and curt voice. Didn't he care at all that Alex could have died? What about him was so great that someone as cheerful as Alex would find him interesting? He was as emotive as a rock and didn't seem too bothered that her classmate looked like she was just inches from death.

"G-Godric?"

The weak, breathy voice could barely be heard over the beeping of the machines. Before Sasha could say anything, the vampire was next to Alex, one hand carefully cupping her chin while the other held her hand. It was readily apparent that Sasha and her mate no longer existed for the male.

"Alexandra."

More tears came to Sasha's eyes when she heard the way the vampire whispered her — possible? — friend's name. He spoke as if she were utterly precious. She could only see the vampire's face in profile, but the look he was giving Alex … the gentle way he tucked her hair behind her ear … No. her friend did not need to worry about how her vampire felt about her.

Sasha had not known that vampires could feel love.

After a moment, Sasha realized exactly what Alex had just said, and went pale. "You're Godric?" Her voice shook and she could feel her heart racing. Her friend was in love with not just any run-of-the-mill vampire, but with _Death_? Was Alex nuts? Didn't she know what this vampire had done in his past? No matter his new reputation for peace, he was still a monster.

"Um, we'll just be going now," Sasha said quickly. "Feel better Alex, and I-I'll call you in a few days."

Godric ignored them, too wrapped up in watching Alex's eyelashes flutter as she struggled to stay awake. He stroked his thumb over the back of her hand. "I am here, Firefly."

"I … thought ... dream," Alex whispered. Her mind felt fuzzy and distant, but she could swear that he was holding her hand, the tingles moving up her arm and into her back. She so loved touching him and had missed it.

"No," Godric said. He carefully settled back into his previous position next to her on the bed. "I am here."

"Promise?" Alex was having a hard time understanding what was going on. Her body hurt, and tears slipped down her cheeks. "Godric —" she gasped.

He pressed a kiss to her fingers and nuzzled her palm to soothe her. He hit the call button for Dr. Ludwig before turning his attention back to Alex. "Shhh, I promise I am not a dream, and I will not leave you. I will stay as long as you need me. Please, Firefly, you must remain calm."

How could she when everything hurt? The only part of her that didn't was where he touched her. She weakly tugged on his hand.

"Yes, dear one?"

"Can you … purr … for me? Please?"

He immediately obliged, the sound rumbling louder and louder in the quiet room until it blocked out all noise from the machines. He pressed her hand against his chest, hoping that feeling the vibrations would help her relax.

When Dr. Ludwig entered she was very well pleased. The Gaul was curled protectively around the young woman, and she could have sworn she had heard him purring before she opened the door. The vampire now looked at her with black eyes, his fangs down in a silent warning to not approach their resting place.

She mentally sighed. Vampires were such drama queens when their instincts were riled, but his actions only strengthened her belief that he was her mate.

"Miss Makhaira, how are you feeling?"

Alex turned her face away from Godric's neck. "Hurts."

"Where?" Dr. Ludwig gestured towards the bed, waiting until the watching Gaul nodded his approval for her to approach.

"Side. Back. Head. What … happened?"

"Memory loss is not uncommon with head injuries. Gaul," Dr. Ludwig snapped, "I need room to work. Get up." She ignored the vampire's warning growl, and the heavy feel of power in the room. She pretended to be deeply involved with reading the girl's chart, but surreptitiously watched as her patient quieted one of the most feared vampires in the world with a brush of fingers across his palm.

Interesting. _Very_ interesting.

Godric stood up but refused to let go of Alex's hand. His chest rumbled with his growl, but he kept it below Alex's hearing. He carefully watched as the normally grumpy doctor spoke gently while she explained the accident to Alex.

"Did … anyone else … live?" She vaguely thought she had heard Sasha earlier, but it was so hard to think. The tingles still moved through her body, and she was so sleepy.

"Yes, the Wereswan sitting next to you survived the crash with minimal injuries. Can you feel this?" Dr. Ludwig said unexpectedly as she pressed on Alex's arm near a dark bruise.

Alex gasped in pain, jerking her arm out of the way. She took a deep breath and opened her mouth to speak when she found herself staring at the back of a snarling vampire blocking the doctor from view.

"Mind yourself, Healer," Godric said coldly. He glared at the gnome doctor, his writhing power making the room feel heavy and oppressive. "She has been through enough without you causing her more pain."

Dr. Ludwig was not impressed. "Calm down, vampire."

"Godric," Alex said as she struggled to sit up. Pain hit, and she gasped. She had barely managed to painfully shift herself when he was there, gently supporting her and stopping her from moving. She laid her hands on his forearms, her palms tingling as she drew on every ounce of strength she had.

"It's ... okay," she said breathlessly while looking into his black eyes, the tips of his fangs showing below his lip. "I'm fine. She's just doing her job." Slowly the darkness ebbed, and she smiled when his eyes returned to grey.

"Hi, there," she teased softly. "That's better." The pain was easier to ignore when he was next to her, touching her. She still couldn't believe he was there with her, that he had actually left Dallas ... for her.

Godric fought for control and the desire to rip apart anyone who came within sight of Alex. He once more smacked Eric's incessant poking aside. He sent a strong jolt of disapproval and temper through their bond, and figured it would give him at least another hour before his mule-headed progeny started pestering him again.

Godric managed to allow the doctor close again, although he refused to leave his protective hovering on the other side of the bed.

Dr. Ludwig snorted and continued her exam. "How about now?" She carefully moved down Alex's body as the young woman nodded at each touch. It wasn't until she reached her upper thigh that she received no response. "Hm."

The machine monitoring Alex's heartbeat started to beep faster and faster.

Alex's voice went high with fright. "Why can't I feel that? I should be able to feel it!"

"During the accident," Dr. Ludwig said, "your seat belt failed and you were flung against the window of the van when it rolled. You didn't break any vertebrae, so it's the swelling around your spinal cord that is the problem. I've injected you with several drugs that will help decrease inflammation, and will hopefully increase your chance at full recovery. Either way, you will need physical therapy."

"Will I ever walk again?"

"I don't know."

* * *

"Alex?" Godric asked softly after Dr. Ludwig left the room muttering about putting up signs warning the nursing staff not to enter unless called. Alex had gone silent, staring up at the ceiling and refusing to say a word.

"Alex, please say something," He didn't like the lost look in her eyes. He needed skin contact with her, sensing that it would bring her back from her shock.

He situated himself next to her on the uncomfortable bed, making a mental note to procure a better one for her. He carefully ran his fingers down her jaw, the warmth of her skin blazing against his fingertips. "Firefly, don't shut me out. I am here."

Silent tears slipped down her cheeks, and his heart wanted to break. Gods, he would give everything if he could just give her his blood. He would drain himself dry if only she could be healed.

He leaned up on his elbow, and softly wiped her cheeks with his thumb. Her tears smelled delicious, and before he could stop and think about whether or not they were as poisonous as her blood to any but her mate, he licked his thumb clean.

_Ambrosia_.

He shuddered, the taste exploding across his tongue and burning like fire down his throat, cleansing everything in its path. It settled in his chest, the warmth radiating outwards in waves. He felt something stir deep within him, something that felt half asleep. Something …

He bit back a moan, his thoughts scattering in a thousand directions. Her tears tasted like … hope. Like shy smiles, brown eyes, and nights made lighter by her voice and laughter. They tasted of life, and all that made his worth living.

The vampire within him surged and clawed its way forward, hungry for more even as both monster and man wanted to destroy what made her weep. To hold her close, and guard her from the world. He had never felt this absolute need to protect, not even when his Children were newborns.

"Godric?"

He opened dazed eyes, realizing that she had been calling his name for some time. It took another moment to realize that the soft growl was coming from him. He cleared his throat from the inappropriate response, and it hit him just how lucky he was that her tears were apparently safe to drink. "I am here, Firefly."

A ghost of a smile flitted across her lips. "Yeah." She looked down at the scratchy hospital blanket. No one had ever tasted her tears before and, from his reaction, he seemed to like them. She felt stronger, the hurt starting to fade as her body continued to tingle.

Wow, they must really have her on good painkillers.

She tugged at him until he was settled next to her. The bed was small, but the feel of him pressed against her made the panic and fear lessen. The ache in her chest subsided, and she relaxed.

She turned her face into his neck and was relieved when he raised his chin to give her more room. "Missed you," she whispered as she nuzzled into his soft skin.

Pleasure swelled hot and fast at her admission and his happy purr was embarrassingly loud. He stroked a hand over her hair and his palm slid to cup her chin, his thumb rubbing lightly across a bruise along her jaw.

Alex shivered at the touch, his cool fingers soothing her hot and achy flesh. "Stay?"

"Yes," Godric said softly. "I will guard you. No one," he promised, "will ever hurt you while I am here." He ignored the phone vibrating in his pocket. Considering how frantically Eric was prodding at their bond, he had a good idea on who kept calling.

Alex's eyes were heavy-lidded with drugs and exhaustion. "Is it … Princess Eric?" she asked with a weak grin.

Godric rolled his eyes — a deplorable habit he had picked up from Alex — long familiar with his progeny and Alex's odd relationship. His son had sworn him to complete secrecy, but he actually had kept the Viking garden gnome she had sent him at Christmas on his desk at Fangtasia. A few of the zombie flamingos had even become decorations in his club.

"Gonna answer?" she asked sleepily, tangling her fingers with his. The tingles were moving through her entire body now, and it was so soothing that she just wanted to sleep.

With a sigh, he pulled his phone from his pocket. "Eric."

"Father, what the fuck is going on? I tried to call your nest, but Isabel said you were gone."

"Calm yourself, my Child. I am in Barcelona. Alex was in a vehicular accident and Josiah informed that Dr. Ludwig believed she would not survive." Even the words tasted like poison on his tongue. He would never forget those desperate and helpless hours on the plane, wondering if she would be gone when he landed.

There was a moment of silence, and Godric could feel his son's reaction within their bond. The strength of it did not surprise him, as he had long suspected that Eric's dislike had changed. "She is dead then."

Alex fought to stay awake. It was just too good of an opportunity to pass up. She reached for the phone, and her eyes met Godric's with a mischievous twinkle. In a purposefully bad British accent she said, "I'm not dead yet."

There was a moment of stunned silence, and then Eric snorted. "Only you would quote _Monty Python: Search for the Holy Grail_ after almost dying."

She leaned her head against Godric's shoulder, the last of her energy slowly leaving her. "S'ok Eric, I know you—" she yawned, "—love me. You were about ready to cry manly, Viking tears to your daddy."

"Vikings do not cry," Eric growled. "And do not refer to my Maker as my 'daddy.' It's unseemly."

Godric let them go back and forth, enjoying how much stronger Alex appeared to be. When she yawned for the third time, he finally interrupted. "Enough. It's time for Alex to rest." He ignored her stubborn look. "You will sleep. Is that understood?"

The command in his voice was enough to make her bristle, but underneath she could still see how worried he was for her. "You won't …?" she asked softly. She was tired, no matter how much she played off her injuries to Eric, but even though it was silly she worried he would leave while she slept.

He placed her hand on his chest in a move that was fast becoming a habit. "I am here." Their eyes met, and something warm and sweet passed between them. He watched as she settled down next to him, and immediately fell asleep. She looked so peaceful, and every breath she took made the tight ball of fear in his belly loosen.

"Maker."

Godric shifted, having forgotten that his son was still on the phone. "Not now, Eric."

"Father, did you even inform your king that you were leaving the state? Pierre won't care that you are in his city, but —"

"Yes, Eric," Godric said dryly, "I left a message for Isabel to forward to the king. No one knows about Alex's accident yet, and I imagine Theron wants to keep it quiet. There are many who would try and force her mating, especially since she has been weakened by her accident."

"How badly hurt is she?"

"Dr. Ludwig is yet unsure of how extensive her spinal injuries are, or whether they are permanent."

"I can leave for Barcelona in—"

Godric edged closer to Alex and ran his nose over her shoulder. She shifted and let out a soft whimper, and he squeezed her hand, shushing her gently back into a deep sleep. "No."

"Father, you can't stay there with her. You know that others will accuse you of trying to influence her."

"No, my Child, they will not." The words he uttered next hurt, although he shoved the foolish emotion away. "You know as well as I that I will never even be considered for a Fated Mate. Not to mention I plan on offering Theron my home. It is only an hour away from the city, and will be perfect for Alex's convalescence. No one will know she is there, or who is with her. She will be safe."

"Then let me come join you."

"No. I want you to keep an eye and ear out for any rumors concerning Alex. If both of us disappear, many will start to ask questions. My Area is used to me wandering before The Great Revelation, and it will be several months before they become curious. Isabel can act in my stead."

"But—"

"I will speak no more upon this. For your protection from your Queen, I Command you to speak to no one about Alex, and for you to pass on the same Command to your Pamela."

Eric had a very bad feeling about this. "Maker … be careful."

Godric hung up the phone without answering, carefully tucking the blanket around a shivering Alex to make sure she stayed warm. "I will stay and help you get better, Firefly. I promise," he whispered.

* * *

Dr. Ludwig sat in her office, waiting. She knew they would come, and she had questions she needed to ask if she was going to help the girl recover.

She was alone in the room, and then she was not. She looked up, glaring at the two Guardians she had last seen almost eight years ago. "You could have used the door."

The male Guardian smiled gently. "I think it best to stay as on the … how do humans say it? Ah, yes, the 'down low' for as long as possible. The Gaul has a knack for sensing us, and we need to stay hidden from our brethren as well."

Dr. Ludwig leaned back in her chair, contemplating the two beings. The black shadows under their eyes and ragged appearance showed their exhaustion. "Well," she said sarcastically, "you both are doing a stand-up job of protecting the girl."

The female stopped prowling around the office and snarled. "Look you insufferable, little —!"

The male put a hand up and the female sulked, but closed her mouth. "Dr. Ludwig," he said calmly, "our people have been hunting for her these last two-and-a-half-years. The steel jewelry Talbot has been sending her has helped keep her hidden from their sight, but they had narrowed it down to this city. For some reason, she must not have worn it today, and so they were able to find her."

"She almost died," Dr. Ludwig said calmly. "I thought your kind were ordered by the gods to guard Fated Mates? Why would they turn on her? As far as I know the girl has done nothing to warrant such behavior."

"It's not her," the female muttered and crossed her arms with a huff when her companion shot her a look.

The doctor hummed and tapped the pencil in her hands against the desk. "So it must be her Mate then that is the problem." She shot the two winged menaces a sharp glare. "Why have you not told the Gaul that the girl is his intended? He could give her his blood, and she would be healed immediately without all this drama."

"No!" the man snapped before he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Look, it's … complicated. The more people who know the truth, the easier it is for our kind's magic to find her. She won't be safe until they bond, and they cannot fully do so until she is eighteen. Right now Reyal and the others think she is dead, and we are able to hide her from view, but that won't last for long. If he gives her his blood, and believe me he would not be able to resist taking her blood in return, she will light up on The Plain of Souls like a human Christmas tree. She will be clearly visible for every Guardian that wants to get revenge against her mate."

Dr. Ludwig huffed a sigh. Vampires crap was always so damned complicated. "So?"

"The Pull isn't just a homing beacon," the female snapped. "It prepares the Fated Mate to fully bond with their vampire on The Plain of Souls. Humans are not meant to reside there or to withstand the depth of bonding that they will go through spiritually, mentally and physically. Why do you think they are so rare? It is not an easy process, even for the gods."

The male Guardian continued the mini-lecture that Dr. Ludwig reluctantly found fascinating. So much was unknown about such matings, and she was not known as the best Supernatural doctor because she just sat on her laurels.

"Fated Mates are not like normal humans, and their souls are especially vulnerable before the bonding occurs. It is one of the main reasons they are kept hidden from the vampire world until it is time for them to mate. Well, all except this one girl," he said tiredly. "Look, sure, they could exchange blood now but they would not be able to fully and completely bond. This goes even though they have the start of one already. Even Alex needs the changes that begin during The Pull for it to completely take root. If she has his blood now she will not gain the safety of their full bond in return. She will not make it to eighteen, and we have it on good authority that the Gaul must survive."

"I," he added softly, "have watched her since her birth. Beyond anything else, I wish for her to find happiness ... even if it is with him. He has changed."

Dr. Ludwig cursed and rubbed her eyes. "She might not make it to eighteen anyway. I'm frankly shocked that she's still breathing."

The male chuckled and his feathered wings fluffed with his amusement. "She'll be fine. It will take time, but she is already healing. I suspect she will even start to get feeling back in her legs soon."

"Vampire shit is always such a pain in the ass," Dr. Ludwig grumbled. "Fine, I'll bite. Haha. How is this possible?"

"He gave her tears. Well, _a_ tear."

"What the—? You just said that her having his blood would be a bad thing! I did not smell his blood in her, and he did not act as if he could feel her emotions."

He shook his head. "Her soul was already on the cusp of passing over. Their immature bond on The Plain of Souls was withering and it needed more than her human tears and the small pieces of soul they have exchanged in the past to keep it rooted. The droplet fell on a wound on her arm, and the magic of it was almost completely used to create the tether that allowed her to come back from the void. Any blood magic that was left started the healing process, but it is too small of an amount for anyone to notice. Luckily, he is very old. Her healing will not be immediate, but she will get better. Especially if the Gaul stays close."

Dr. Ludwig made a few more notes in her private files, and nodded, not looking up from her papers. "He is a Sheriff and will not be able to stay long."

The two Guardians shared an amused look. "Do you really think he will leave her now? I doubt anything or anyone could pull him from her side, especially while she is so vulnerable."

"If it's so important that she stays hidden, how do you expect to keep others from noticing their connection? He's not exactly being subtle, and nor," she added, "is she."

"That," the male said smugly, "is already taken care of."

Before Dr. Ludwig could ask him to explain, they heard the loud sound of shattering wood and a high-pitched scream that was abruptly cut off come from the direction of Alex's room.

Without a word to her two uninvited guests, Dr. Ludwig immediately popped from her office and into her patient's room. She had just an instant to see the broken equipment, shattered door and moaning form of a very large, male Were nurse on the ground before she was shoved up against the wall, a hand closing around her throat.


	18. Chapter 118

**AN: **This is a transitional chapter to get Alex and Godric to where they both need to be. Don't worry, the next one will definitely start escalating the situation they find themselves in. This chapter is rather shorter than my normal, but when I wrote the last bit it seemed like the perfect stopping point and I figured I would get something to you as soon as I could.

As always, I own nothing from the TB universe except my own character. Thank you to everyone who reads and/or reviews my work, and those of you (you know who you are) who have let me plot bounce The Barcelona Arc practically to its True Death, lol.

Oh, and in this chapter Alex is still six months away from turning eighteen.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 11B**

_Protect._

He had been contentedly watching Alex sleep when he felt the male Were approaching. Besides giving off a low warning growl that he knew the other Supe would hear, he ignored him. He had heard the other nurses discussing the warning Dr. Ludwig had posted about this now being claimed territory, and only a fool would dare enter.

Alex's room was at the end of the long hall, and it was not until the male had passed by every other possible reason for being there that Godric turned his full attention to the door.

What did the male think he was doing?

He growled again, the sound louder and with a harsher edge. Irritated, he released a portion of his aura outward in a show of strength that should have had the fool _racing_ in the opposite direction.

When the door handle turned, he vamp sped from the bed and ripped open the flimsy, wooden barrier. The Were's eyes went wide but before he could react, Godric viciously kicked, breaking four of the taller male's ribs and then his left knee.

The intruder opened his mouth to scream but the Ancient wrapped his fingers harshly around the Were's neck to stifle the noise. Instead of wailing his agony, the male's voice was forced into a barely heard gurgle. Godric froze, listening, and did not relax until he knew that Alex still slumbered.

He roughly shook the Were when the man whined, uncaring of his pain. The idiot smelled of raspberries and sage, the specific scent of a WereBobcat.

He leaned closer and lowered his fangs down slowly so that the light gleamed off their sharp points. "Why have you violated my territory?" He released his grip just enough for the male to whine his excuse.

"Filthy vamp," the intruder snarled. "She's just a disgusting human and shouldn't even be at this hospital!"

He tried to shift and attempted to swipe at Godric's face with a hand now tipped in wickedly curved claws, and Godric lost what little patience he may have had as he unmasked his full strength.

The Were's eyes went wide and his fear-scent flooded the room. "W-what're are you?"

Godric smiled, the look one that had been known to cause other Ancient vampires to _run_ in the opposite direction. "Death."

He waited just long enough for the male's eyes to fill with terror and then he squeezed, disdainfully flinging the unconscious Were to the floor in a twisted heap.

He stood there, his chest rising and falling as he took deep inhales and determined that none of the other nurses were even contemplating coming to check on the loud altercation.

Good.

His Firefly's hurt scent was in his nose, her labored breathing echoing in his ears. She was not safe here, not when he could not stay by her side during the day. She was his to guard, to keep safe.

He had barely regained control when he heard a pop and felt another presence in the room.

It was behind him … and next to Alex.

_Fury!_

He _moved_ and had the intruder up against the wall, his hand around a scrawny neck. He ignored the small being's kicking hands and feet. His fangs ached to bite and tear, his bloodrage almost completely clouding his mind and over-shadowing the suddenly noisy maker-child bond.

He leaned forward, his fangs glistening in the light and he smirked at his monstrous reflection in a pair of shocked pupils.

"G-Godric?"

* * *

Something pulled her from sleep, dragging her from the comforting darkness that kept her safe from pain. What was going on?

She tried to open her eyes, but it felt like they had ten-pound weights attached to them. She knew before she reached out a hand that the bed next to her was empty, and she shuddered in terror. Had everything been a dream?

Her throat felt so dry, and it took several tries to get her voice to work.

"G-Godric?"

A low growl was her answer, and relief made her head spin. He was here and it hadn't been just another dream. Tears gathered at the corner of her closed eyes when she felt the familiar warm press of power curl around her and tighten like a hug. It was more than wonderful, but she wanted him to actually be there and physically hold her so she could press her face into his neck and know that she wasn't alone.

She finally managed to open her eyes, blinking to try and clear her blurry vision. Her head felt as if it weighed a ton but at the same time also like it was stuffed with cotton. Weird.

With a Herculean amount of effort, she managed to turn in the direction of the low growling. She stared, wondering why her vampire had the doctor by the throat. The woman was rude and prickly, but biting her just seemed a bit extreme.

"What—" she coughed and clutched at her bandaged side, "—are you doing? That's Dr. Ludwig." She coughed again, a pained whine escaping from between clenched teeth.

Between one breath in the next he was beside her, a gentle hand cupping her chin while the other was a cool pressure on her back as he carefully eased her down to the bed.

His touch made every muscle relax, and she opened exhausted eyes to look up into his pitch black ones. Even though his touch was soft and gentle, his entire body was taut with anger. She frowned, and her gaze switched to the short doctor who was picking herself off the floor, and then to what she could see of an ominously still male nurse.

The low growl brought her attention back to her vampire, and she felt a faint curl of feminine amusement at the irritated expression on his face. No, he wouldn't want her to look at the male currently passed out on her floor. His vanquished foe was not, in his eyes, worthy of any of her attention.

She hid a smile. Vampires lost to instinct were always sort of cute when they got all growly and possessive, although she wouldn't ever tell _him_ that. Well, probably never.

"I'm okay, Godric." Her eyes stayed steady on his. "You protected me. You kept our nest safe, and our territory is still yours. Still ours." She turned her head and nuzzled the vulnerable underside of his wrist in thanks, and barred her throat to show him that she still saw him as strong enough to keep her safe.

A chilly thumb brushed across her throat, and she shivered when it came to rest lightly over her pulse. "We're okay," she said keeping her voice soothing and low.

Slowly the darkness ebbed from his eyes until they were their usual lovely grey.

"Hi there," she said with a small smile. "What happened?"

His voice was arctic. "A lesson in manners."

Godric slid his hand from her throat and down to her hand, the calluses on his palms rubbing against her skin. She leaned her head back and just let his voice roll over her as the weird tingles continued to move back and forth in her body.

"Your employee is lucky I did not wish to spill blood in Alex's room. Do they commonly disregard your orders?"

The doctor rudely kicked the Were's leg. "Idiot. Don't worry, he will be taken care of."

Godric continued to glare, his eyes like chips of ice. "This place is not safe for Alex, and I will not allow her to remain."

Dr. Ludwig raised an eyebrow, wondering if the vampire knew that his free hand was running up and down her patient's arm in what could only be termed as a caress. His fingers circled the invisible-to-humans Fated Mate mark on the girl's wrist before continuing on their journey. From the way she was looking at him as if he hung the moon, the girl definitely had it just as bad.

It was almost … cute.

The doctor smirked, feeling a little vengeful for her bruised neck. "I think that will be up to her nest, don't you?"

He stiffened. His Firefly was not part of his nest, not really. He hated that the doctor was right, hated that when Alex's father arrived that it would be up to Theron to decide on what would be best for her. He did not even realize he was growling until a small, warm hand touched his arm, and he glanced down into concerned brown eyes.

No. He would make sure that Theron decided that Alex's best chance for a full recovery was at Godric's own home outside Barcelona. She would be protected there, and he would provide everything she could possibly need or want.

Even hopped up on painkillers Alex did not appreciate the doctor trying to tell her Godric that he had no claim on her well-being. "Don't be mean," she chided tiredly.

The doctor snorted. "Mean? Was I not the one just up against the wall with a hand around my throat?"

Alex scowled and squeezed Godric's hand protectively, her anger giving her a burst of much-needed energy. She would not allow the doctor to make him feel bad, although at the moment he seemed more pissed than anything else. "You knew this territory was claimed. What did you think would happen when his instincts were already riled? Did you ask for permission to approach, or did you do your pop trick? Are you really that surprised you pissed him off?"

Dr. Ludwig huffed but refused to concede the point. "Fine. Whatever. Next time I hear screaming I'll just ignore it," she muttered grumpily before eyeballing her patient. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine."

"Liar. You should work on that skill. Any sensation back in your legs or feet? Tingling? Numbness?"

"Tingling, but it's all over. Not just in my legs. It's stronger in my back, and it kind of tickles."

Dr. Ludwig paused for a moment, remembering what the Guardians said about her having the smallest amount of Godric's blood in her system. "Hmm. Your nest should be arriving within the hour and there will need to be a frank discussion about what treatments you will need. It will not be easy, even if the paralysis is temporary."

Alex nodded, swallowing heavily. "Dad and my two older brothers can't stay, and I'm not allowed in Japan for, like, a hundred years. Josiah is so busy with the Court here that I've barely seen him the last month."

She turned to Godric, her hand reaching up to grip his shirt at the shoulder like a lifeline. "I … I don't want to be alone. I can't … I don't …" Her breaths came in quickening gasps.

Nausea churned in her stomach and she could feel her heart pounding. She didn't want to be alone or sent to stay with strangers. A glimpse of hate-filled gold eyes and an ugly smirk flashed across her mind and made her trembling increase.

What was that? Brief fragments of fear, screaming, and the sound of twisting metal swam through her mind.

"Alexandra."

Her name reached past all the terror and confusion, that beautifully accented voice one that promised safety. That promised trust, love and nights spent talking and laughing.

A cool touch against her cheek and a soft voice that could not be denied.

"Look at me."

She somehow managed to obey, staring helplessly up into dark grey. She was getting lightheaded, the vise getting tighter on her chest as she desperately gasped for breath.

He held her palm to his chest while the other pulled her close and pressed her face into his neck. He surrounded her, hands carefully supporting her hurt side as he situated her on his lap.

He held her tightly, purring softly in her ear. "I am here. You will not be left alone, and I will rip apart _anyone_ who tries to harm you."

_Safety._

She relaxed, every breath giving her the wonderful scent of oak, warmth, and home. His arms were wonderful and he was the perfect snuggling height. She was so tired that she closed her eyes and let herself drift away, knowing that he would keep her safe. Even then, her hands stayed twisted in his shirt.

Godric raised the top of the bed to a sitting up position and settled against it, adjusting her so her back was supported against his arm and her head leaned against his shoulder. He stroked through her loose hair, tucking it gently behind the curve of her ear as he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. He touched his cheek against hers, his eyes closing halfway in contentment at the warm feel of her skin.

She was alive. It was a joyous refrain that had yet to grow old.

Dr. Ludwig shifted, suddenly feeling like she was intruding on a deeply private moment. The movement brought the vampire's attention back to her, his face closing off and going blank.

"What just happened?" he asked lowly so as to not wake the young woman in his arms.

"Probably a flashback of the accident brought about by the stress of not knowing what will happen to her next, and the depth of her injuries. It's not uncommon, especially in head injuries. She'll probably have them for some time, and headaches as well. The human brain does not like being bounced around willy-nilly."

A thought suddenly struck him and if he could have paled he would have. "Did my shifting her cause her more harm?"

Dr. Ludwig paused, considering the different variables. "Normally I would not want her to move too much for the next day or so, but with her panic attack is was important to calm her. You being dead is a good thing, since right now you are better than an ice pack and that will help with the swelling and pain. I don't want to keep her on too high a dose of painkillers because it will mask any change that may occur with her lower body."

Godric nodded and ignored the doctor as she left, his entire focus returning to Alex. He traced his gaze over the delicate curve of her jaw, surprised at the difference just a few mortal years could make. Even under the bruising and swelling, he could see how her face had lost the faint roundness of youth that it had still held when she was fifteen. Yes, he had seen her on Skype as she had changed and grown, but to see it in person was ... different.

He had always thought her lovely, but now ...

He shook his head, firmly putting such thoughts aside. He focused his entire attention on monitoring her vital signs as he went into downtime so he would know if she so much as took a slightly slower breath or if her body spiked with chemical distress.

When an hour later she began to stir, he immediately started purring. He knew how she much it comforted her since she had asked him several times to do it over Skype when she was particularly upset. When she smiled without even opening her eyes, he felt the purr stutter at the sweet expression and something in his chest lurched.

Emotion swelled, staggeringly deep as he closed his own eyes. She could have died. It was a miracle that she was here and cradled in his arms, her warmth pressed against him.

Not even his Children had caused him to have such a reaction, such a fierce need to coddle and protect.

Perhaps it was a good thing Fated Mates were not found until they went in search of their other half, as this instinctual need must drive her family and surrounding vampires almost mad.

"You're here," Alex said softly even though she kept her eyes shut. She nuzzled closer, loving his scent and the feel of his arms. This was only the second time he had ever held her like this on his lap, and it was as comfortable and wonderful as she remembered. She loved his arms around her, the feeling reaching to her core. "You're really, really here."

His answer was just as quiet. "Yes."

Godric rested his cheek against the top of her head, her loose hair tickling his skin. Fear still sat like an icy ball in his center, and he thought it would be some time before he could see her and not experience the terror of just how close he had come to losing her.

He gently pulled her so she rested more snuggly against his chest. If Dr. Ludwig thought his cooler body temperature could help, he would make sure to hold her like this as often as possible.

It had nothing to do with the fact that it eased something within him to know on every level that she was still here. That she was not gone.

She took a shuddering breath. "I ... I still can't feel my legs."

"I know." His arms tightened around her. "You have yet to move them."

Her voice caught on a sob. "What if I can't—?"

He moved her so smoothly that she barely felt the motion as he settled her back against the bed and shifted to lie next to her. She missed his arms around her, but now she could at least look at him.

He leaned up on his elbow and placed a finger over her lips, unwilling to hear her say such a thing. "You will. This will not defeat you."

When she just shook her head and looked away, he firmly said, "Firefly ... look at me."

Their eyes met, and time stopped. Without realizing it, his finger traced lightly over her lips, the delicate skin amazingly soft.

"I could have lost you," he whispered hoarsely, almost too low for her human ears. The thought was so horrifying that it could not be spoken of louder. His fingers slid up over her jaw and he cupped the back of her head, his fingers moving against her warm scalp.

"No," she denied. She would never leave him. _Never_.

Still, he kept his eyes on hers. "You could have died." He leaned his forehead down and rested it against hers, matching his breaths to the slow rise and fall of her chest.

Nothing was said as they breathed as one and together.

Alex's heart fluttered, but the pain and the distracting tingling keeping her from responding like she wished. She wanted to go against all Courtship etiquette and declare herself and kiss him. Still ... a hospital bed was perhaps not the most romantic area to propose bonding and stuff, and she really did feel like crap. She also sort of had the idea of giving him the pledging knife at their … um … his nest in Dallas, too.

Instead, she reached up and grabbed his free hand and pulled it to rest against her throat so he could feel her heartbeat.

"You won't lose me." The words were a promise that she swore would never be broken.

Alex frowned when his eyes went dark and distant but was in way too much discomfort to question him on why he was now wearing his Sheriff of Dallas mask. She hated it when he looked at her with that emotionless expression.

"Rest," he said firmly, cutting off anything she might have said. His fingers moved from the back of her head down to her neck, gently massaging the sore muscles.

She sighed and murmured her thanks, the tingles in her back and legs going haywire. Still, she wouldn't be distracted and could tell he was in one of his 'moods' now. His voice had that Mr. Big Shot Sheriff of Dallas tone that always made her want to do the exact opposite of whatever he was suggesting.

Especially when his suggestions were obviously more reasonable than one of her hare-brained schemes.

Her eyes half-closed when his magic fingers found a particularly sore spot. He was hers, even if he sometimes really was rather silly about some things.

"Bossy," she teased and was unable to smother a huge yawn.

His mouth barely turned up at the corners as he pulled his hand away and settled down firmly on his side, almost curled around her. "Practical."

"Bo—" she yawned again "—ring."

He laughed softly, the beautiful sound rubbing over her skin and making her feel warm and gooey. She loved teasing him, even though it had taken some time to get him to actually react and return the favor. He really needed more silliness and happiness in his life, and someone to take care of him.

Hers. He was _hers_.

"I am here," he said. "Rest."

She snuggled closer the only sound in the room his soft purr and the beeping of the machines. She was almost asleep when Godric suddenly disappeared from beside her, his growl ripping through the quiet. She heard a loud cras, and jerked fully awake to see Godric standing in the open door his entire body tense.

She squinted, trying to make out who was picking themselves off the floor.

"Dad?"

* * *

Theron raced through the hospital in a blur of movement, not even pausing at the signs warning that the ward contained vampire-claimed territory. He could smell the Dallas Sheriff, and was grateful to his friend for coming so quickly to Barcelona to protect Alex.

He swore his mortal child would drive him to grey hair and the True Death. How did one teenage human find so much trouble without even trying?

He came to the room he knew his daughter was in, and without slowing vamp-sped through the door.

_Agony._

Pain exploded in his chest and he heard the sickening crunch of bone as his sternum shattered and several ribs broke through his skin as he was propelled violently backward and out the door. The hallway wall brought an abrupt and equally as painful end to his flight, the crack of his head against the plaster creating a rather large divot in the wall.

He raised his palms upward in a clear gesture of submission. "Damn it, Godric," he gasped while feeling his bones snap back together.

The Gaul's voice was like ice. "You know better, Theron of Greece."

Theron stood up straight when the last piece of bone shifted into place, his wary gaze on the other male. This behavior was unusual, even for the Gaul.

"Dad?"

Both vampires turned when they heard the soft voice. Godric's expression relaxed and he moved to the side with a nod. Theron barely even glanced at the passed out Were on the floor as he quickly went to his daughter. The older vampire's power cloaked the room and it made his skin crawl to be near such strength. There was a reason even those older than the Gaul left him well alone, and his rule over Dallas remained unchallenged.

"Oh, Alex," Theron said with a sigh when he saw his youngest's bruised and broken body. He carefully picked up her hand, and his brow furrowed.

"You're too warm," he said softly and shared a look with Godric who hit the button on the wall to summon Dr. Ludwig.

"I don't feel good," Alex said. She wished Godric was holding her again. The tingles didn't seem as strong when he wasn't near her, and she hurt more. "Where's Gabby and Ben?"

"You know," her oldest brother said as he came through the door, "that I hate that nickname. Father, Bennett is on the phone with the Authority and Empress to reschedule our meetings for the next few days."

"I swear to the gods, Alexandra," Gabriel said with a dark scowl, "that you could find trouble if we shoved you in a windowless, barren room."

When his sibling didn't respond with her normal sass, he added below her hearing, "I thought Josiah said she was getting better. She looks horrid!"

He looked back at his sister to see her staring straight at him out of glazed eyes. She somehow knew when they spoke below her hearing, and she always had something to say about it. This time, all she did was close her eyes, and he inhaled.

His entire body stiffened, his hands clenching into fists. "Sheriff, why is your scent all over my sister's bed and person?"

Dr. Ludwig stalked through the door. "Move," she snapped as she made her way to her patient's bed. She turned and glared at the Gaul. "I thought I told you to lay next to her to keep her fever and swelling down. You're not as stupid as most of your kind, so why are you standing over there like some useless wall ornament?"

Gabriel stiffened at the doctor's words, protective brotherly instincts flaring. "That's my sister you're talking about. There is no reason he needs to lay next to her when one of us is here." He made his way to Alex's side and plopped down, jostling her so hard that she cried out and clutched her arms awkwardly around her sutured side.

"Fool!" Dr. Ludwig snapped, reaching a hand out to steady her patient. "Show some of that grace that you blood-suckers have, and stop moving around like some oaf."

Before she could do anything else, Godric grabbed the younger vampire by the scruff of the neck and with a flick of his wrist, tossed him across the room.

"Are you trying to hurt her?" he growled as he moved to block the younger vampire from returning to the bed. With his fangs down and eyes pitch black he made every vampire in the room extremely nervous. "My ability to fly means that I can easily assist without harming her. Unlike you."

He glanced over at Theron. "Josiah gave his consent," he said while hiding how much it irked him that he had to even have someone's approval to care for her.

Theron only nodded, too intent on watching the doctor attend to his pale and shaking daughter. "I had hoped that Josiah was wrong about the extensiveness of her injuries," he said softly. He looked over at Dr. Ludwig. "I must return to Japan soon. How soon before she can travel?"

The doctor's jaw dropped. "Travel?" she said with disbelief. "Are you mad? She was almost dead a few hours ago, and now you want her to gallivant off halfway across the planet? She's got a human's constitution and she's frankly lucky to have survived at all. Only one other of her classmates did, and it was solely because they were sitting in the back of the van."

Damn it, the doctor fumed, if only those winged menaces hadn't made her swear a magically binding oath to tell no one about those two lovebirds.

Theron pinched the bridge of his nose. "I do not wish to move her at all, but I have little choice in the matter. My bloodline and I are on a mission from the Council. It is of vital importance, and the Eternal Empress will speak to no one but myself. She is not one of the monarchs that have embraced the technological age, and Skyping or Face Timing will not work. It will be hard enough getting permission to bring Alex back into the country, considering what happened last time."

"Sorry," Alex whispered miserably from her position on the bed. Worry twisted her stomach and she tried to catch Godric's eyes, but he was staring at the floor with no expression on his face. Behind his back and away from everyone else's sight, she could see that his fists were clenched. Why was he so upset? Why was he standing all the way over there? She felt pretty sulky about it, honestly. Granted it would be disrespectful to cuddle in front of her dad since nothing had been formally announced … but still.

Theron shook his head fondly. "It was not," he admitted, "entirely your fault."

"I can stay with her," Gabriel offered after regaining his dignity from being tossed aside with such ease. "Josiah has his own job he must complete, and Bennett is the only one who fully understands the technology behind the Council's ideas for Japan. George and Brian are not strong enough if some enemy decides to use our distraction to their advantage. That leaves me."

"Actually, Child," Theron said quietly, "you also must return to Japan. Or have you already forgotten the Eternal Empress' youngest progeny, and your new Courtship?"

With the instincts of a little sister, Alex immediately saw the perfect opportunity to tease her too serious older brother. She managed a ghost of her normal bright smile. "Gabby has a girlfriend?"

"Don't be a brat," Gabriel said stiffly. "And I told you to not call me Gabby."

"Not a brat," she slurred, her eyes going heavy lidded with fatigue. "Happy for you. Gonna have to make sure she's good enough. Better not be some wilting damsel, 'k? They suck. Don't want one for a sister."

For a moment, Gabriel's harsh look softened. "Hanako is no damsel, Ally-bell," he said using the childhood nickname that he had not called her in years. "Maker, my Intended would understand that bloodline duty would delay my return. She will wait for me."

"But the Eternal Empress will not be so complacent," Theron said firmly. "She is prone to taking offense, which we cannot afford."

"Hanako is her favorite Child, and will make her understand."

Alex ignored their argument, gritting her teeth when Dr. Ludwig pushed away the blankets and moved her hospital gown enough to take a look at her sutures. Her heart sank. She cared about her oldest brother, even if he was a pain in the butt most of the time. She wanted him to be happy, and she knew what it was like to be away from someone you loved.

He needed to go back to Japan, so she swallowed just how afraid she was that she would never walk again and how much she really just wanted her family and nest. "I love you, Gabby … but, um, remember Munich? I will be—" she hissed in a painful breath when Dr. Ludwig pressed on her ribs, "—fine with George and Brian. I'm not a silly little kid anymore."

Gabriel cleared his throat. "We promised not to speak of Munich."

"No, you said that. Not me." Alex closed her eyes and bit back a whimper when the doctor poked at a sensitive spot on her stomach, turning her face away to hide the brimming tears. There was no way she could stop them from smelling the spike in her scent, but at least she could pretend.

Dr. Ludwig sighed and replaced her blankets. "Your surgical incision is a trifle red. I'm going to start you on a stronger round of antibiotics as a precaution against infection." Without waiting for a response, she jabbed the IV line with a needle. "This will help you rest which is what you need, and not this needless family drama."

The vampires watched as Alex fell into a deep sleep. The fact that she didn't fuss about it let them know just how ill she felt.

Dr. Ludwig turned and glared at Theron. "Vampire, I will not allow you to haul this girl across the globe. You're lucky I will do house calls so she can leave the hospital at all."

"Thank you," Theron said calmly.

The doctor rolled her eyes. "Whatever. You need to find a place nearby because I'll be damned if I waste more energy than I must popping to her. She is not my only patient. Your daughter needs a residence that is one level and a good size room that can be turned into physical therapy area. A pool would be helpful as well. Figure out whatever you plan on doing, and fast."

She pointed a finger at Gabriel and then to the still unconscious Were on the floor. "You can make yourself useful and remove this moron to my office where he and I will be having a little chat once he wakes."

She stomped away, muttering about foolish vampires and needing a vacation.

Gabriel followed, dragging the Were by a single foot and not being overly careful to keep from banging him against the doorframe on the way out of the room.

The door to the room shut, and there was no sound other than the beeping of the machines.

Godric broke the tense silence, his hands tucked behind his back. "I believe that if Gabriel stays in Barcelona that you will be unable to keep Alex's condition a secret, especially as he is apparently in the first stage of Courtship with a monarch's progeny. Has it been announced in the Eternal Empress' Court?"

"Yes, she approached Gabriel two days before Alex's accident, and he accepted." A small smile moved fleetingly across his lips. "I've never seen him act like this before. They've already exchanged the first set of gifts," Theron said while soothingly stroking his daughter's hair away from her forehead.

"What excuse did you give the Empress for having to leave?"

"That there was a crisis within my bloodline. She assumed I meant my youngest son and I did not dissuade her from that belief. For all that Alex is a Fated Mate, the Empress can hold a grudge for centuries."

Godric was curious, wondering how even that fussy vampire could dislike Alex. "What did she do?"

"Do you know the Royal Koi Pond? The one in the far courtyard that looks wild, and where the fish are supposedly the descendants of the original magical koi gifted to the very first Emperor of Japan by the Fae?"

Godric raised a single eyebrow having spent some time in that country's Court. "Yes."

"We didn't think to tell Alex that they were off limits. Or that it was kept separate and without decoration on purpose. She thought it wasn't part of the palace, so when she woke up early one day she … went fishing."

Godric just shook his head, chuckling. "How old was she? She has never told me this story."

"Fourteen, and it is something she's rather embarrassed about so it does not surprise me that she would decline to share the memory. It occurred about six months before we joined you in Chicago."

Theron finally looked up from his daughter. "You look healthier, Godric. I am gratified to see that assisting a Fated Mate has taken some of the heaviness from your spirit. Alex told me that you've really helped answer a lot of questions when it comes to her, as she puts it, 'Vampire Studies: The Advanced Class'. Humans mature so quickly that I am often shocked that she is nearing her Mating. Just yesterday she was a little girl toddling around and begging for stories," he said wistfully.

After a moment of silence, he continued. "Have I thanked you for coming so quickly to guard her?" he asked. "I know you have much to attend to in your own Area, and that there are difficulties with The Fellowship of the Sun."

With careful nonchalance, Godric shrugged. "She is important," he said simply and let Theron come to his own conclusions, although he did wonder at Alex's explanation for their continued contact. "So that is why she is not allowed back in Japan for the foreseeable future?"

"Yes. Luckily the Empress took her youth, status, and the fact that several hundred years ago we spent a century as pledged lovers into consideration. Thank the gods," Theron laughed, "that my daughter only caught and released them, so none of the fish were actually cooked for breakfast."

His brief moment of levity ended. "My old friend, what am I going to do?" Theron mused aloud. "I cannot stay here, and neither can my two sons. Josiah is deep into his own Council project and has had barely enough time to check in on Alex the last few weeks. Luckily," he said with a sigh, "she has grown greatly in the last six months so needs little daily oversight. Perhaps she will be okay with just our Daymen." He did not sound convinced.

Godric carefully regulated his expression to give none of his inner turmoil away. Over his True Death would he leave Alex alone and guarded only by two well-meaning humans. He knew how she really felt about her nest not staying, and he had promised to not leave her.

"Theron, they cannot guard her should others hear of her accident. Her kind is too rare for many to not try and take the opportunity to sway her to their side."

Theron tucked Alex snuggly into bed and kissed her forehead, but he shot the other vampire a sharp glare. "It is impossible. Her mate is already chosen, and there is nothing anyone can do to change the outcome."

Godric stood firm, his eyes focused on Theron as he bit back the desire to throttle his friend over the head. "But they will try. Wars between bloodlines have erupted over less, and the chance to be the one meant to have the blood of a Fated Mate? Russell's own power increased at least three-fold when he Mated to Talbot, and I have even heard rumors he even gained the ability to be untraceable by magic or any other ability."

"I know, but what choice do I have? She cannot come with me, and I cannot stay here — no matter how much I wish I could. Not even for her would the Council relinquish me from this ordeal. They will simply send someone else to be her guardian for the last six months, and The Ancient Pythoness is currently in seclusion so will be of no help."

Godric waited, watching as Theron contemplated just how bad his few options were. "Then they cannot find out about her injuries. No one here knows what she truly is, and Dr. Ludwig can be persuaded to stay silent. King Pierre will also see reason, as long as he is assured of her protection and the chance to meet her."

Theron nodded. "It might be best for the two of them to get to know each other anyway considering how high a chance he has of being her mate."

Godric's fists clenched so hard behind his back that he felt the bones snap and reform. "Perhaps," he said, "you might allow your daughter some time to try and heal before playing matchmaker. Doctor Ludwig says she has a difficult battle ahead of her."

Theron nodded absently and began to pace the room, a habit he seemed to only indulge in when a problem involved his daughter. "True, but it is something to keep in mind. Perhaps Pierre knows or owns some nest in the area that would work? It is in his interest to keep her safe and healthy. My own in the city is not fit for Alex right now with the level of her injuries. If Pierre cannot help us I can have George look around for a house to buy or rent with the accommodations that Ludwig desired for Alex's recuperation, but that still leaves only Josiah who can stay here with her."

"I have a home an hour from the city," Godric offered. He refused to let Alex go to one of Pierre's nests. No, she would recuperate where Godric knew beyond a shadow of a doubt she would be safe. "It has both an extensive above and below ground level, as well as an outdoor swimming pool. There is more than enough space for Josiah, Alexandra, and anyone else you deem necessary for her comfort. The wards will also keep away those intending harm."

Theron's eyes widened at the unexpected offer from his bloodline's ally. "I will owe you greatly for this, my friend."

"No. It is my honor to assist her." After a pause, Godric added emotionlessly, "Almost anyone outside of your bloodline will be regarded with suspicion by those most likely to be her mate. Fighting would break out, and Alex would be caught in the middle. She does not need the stress of that right now, especially as The Ancient Pythoness has commanded she not be told of her birthright."

Theron rolled his eyes. "Yes. Fools, all of them."

"Almost anyone," Godric emphasized, smiling grimly when he saw the light of realization and surprise in Theron's eyes. "None will think twice if I stay to guard her. I am well known by those within my Area to wander, so will not be missed for several months. If anyone should find out about this arrangement, there will be no backlash because of my rather infamous history. No one," he said with a wry smile, "even slightly believes that I am an option to be her mate, so they will not make a fuss."

Theron was relieved as there was no better guard than Godric, and no one else he trusted his with his daughter's life. "True, and it is the best option if you do not truly mind the disruption. I imagine her convalescence will not be easy, but I can hire nurses and whatnot to both care and entertain her so that you are not further inconvenienced. I would prefer to take my dayman with me to Japan as I will need his services with Gabriel's Courtship, but Brian can stay here to cook for her. You do not," he offered with a wry smile, "want to ever let her attempt to cook. Not unless you desire your nest to burn down or smell for days of burnt hair."

Irritation moved through Godric at the very idea that Alex could be some sort of 'imposition,' but he squelched the emotion and only nodded.

"You honor me with your trust," he said. "I know it is rare for a bloodline to trust one outside of it with one of their members. I will keep her safe."

Theron's phone rang and he glanced down at the screen. "I am sorry, but the Council is calling. Do you mind staying while I take care of this and then while I go speak to Dr. Ludwig? I want my daughter to be out of here as soon as possible."

Godric waited until Theron left the room to return to Alex's side. She was flushed, and he laid his hand against her warm cheek, marveling at the softness of her skin. "You will be made well again, I promise."

Her eyes fluttered. "Wha—?"

"Shh," he soothed and sat next to her on the bed. "I did not mean to wake you."

"Mmm." She fumbled around for his hand. "Dad?"

"He has gone outside to take a call from the Council, and to speak with Dr. Ludwig."

"Stay?" she mumbled. "Golden eyes … bad …"

Godric went still, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. What did she mean by 'golden eyes'? He knew of only one kind of Supernatural that had that trait. But … why would they be trying to hurt one they are pledged to guard?

"G'dric?"

His attention caught by his slurred name, he smiled reassuringly down at her. "Rest. I am here. I will not leave you."

Her barely open eyes slid closed, her hand going lax. "You're mad."

"No, my heart. I am not mad at you."

Her lips barely curved in a smile. "I know. No beating up Gabby, ok? He needs to look pretty for his girl."

"As you wish," he said with amusement.

"Go … dric?"

"Yes?"

"Missed … you."

He ran a single finger over her warm cheek as her breathing went deep and steady in sleep. "Not nearly," he whispered, "as much as I have you."

* * *

Godric was still sitting next to a sleeping Alex when he felt a presence approaching the corridor entryway thirty feet away, the scent of sun-warmed wheat very well known.

The male stopped and said, "Greetings, Godric of Gaul. May I enter your claimed territory?"

Godric clenched his fists, wishing he could deny him the right to even lay eyes on Alex. He was an old ally to his bloodline and had often traveled with Eric and him through Europe and Asia. Unlike many others, this vampire was actually worthy of a Fated Mate, and he knew that the male would value Alex for more than just her powerful blood and the status she would bring to his bloodline.

He was joyous with a love of life very similar to his Eric, and without the dark regrets and sorrow that Godric felt about his own past.

Godric knew him well, considering he had practically adopted the vampire when his own Maker had died when he had still been barely more than a newborn.

He was a good man and, as much as he could be as a monarch, both compassionate and fair. He could make Alex … happy.

He ignored the strange lurch in his chest, pushing whatever it was to the back of his mind. She was his friend, and he was just rightfully concerned for her future.

The gleaming mark on her throat gave him the strength to do what he must.

A vampire was not controlled by his emotions.

He closed his eyes. "Greetings, King Pierre de Bonnet. You may enter."


End file.
